#Hera is the one that's called the most beautiful

[my-name-is-apollo]

Wikipedia edit history can be a funny place sometimes

[katerinaaqu]

Fun facts (Names in Mythology):

Heracles's real name is not "Heracles" but Alkaios (Alceaeus=>Ἀλκαῖος) or Alkides. He received the name "Heracles" ("Glory of Hera") when he went to the Delphi Sanctuary to receive a prophecy on how to cleanse himself from the murder of his children with Megara after Hera made him lose his sanity

Minotaur had a name in birth Asterion or Asterius which means "star-like" and it is believed that is because his body was full of small spots that resemble stars (thus many ancient depictions have him spotted)

Cerberus, the dog of Hades has many etymological roots but one of them seems to come from a term which means "spot" or "spotted". Yes the hellhound could possibly be called "Spot" XD

There is a general opinion that Odysseus would be originally named Polyaretos (Πολυάρητος) aka "Much Prayed for" but that seems to be a mistranslation of the passage where Euryclea tells Autolycus to name Odysseus because he is "much prayed for". But the phrase goas "πολυάρητος εστιν" aka "he is much prayed for". The passage doesn't directly imply that the name was considered but rather how difficult it was for Odysseus to be conceived. So it is more of an interpretation of the passage rather than a fact.

Neoptolemous, according to some sources, was named Pyrrhus (Fire-like) at birth which according to some interpretations was for Diadeima to pay respects to Achilles as well as his disguise as a woman because according to some sources Achilles takes the pseudonym "Pyrrha" while in disguise. The name "Neoptolemous" is a nickname he is known for, meaning "New Soldier" or "New Warrior" indicating how his arrival was basically to replace Achilles

Both the most trecherous slaves in Odysseus's court Melantho and Melanthius share the same name. Both Melantho and Melanthius comes from greek "melas" (μέλας) which means "dark" or "black" and the word "anthos" (άνθος) which is for "flower" or "bloom" Both of them have the name "dark flower" and both are the most clear example of betrayal in Odysseus's court by both being named "dark flower" or "black bloom".

Calypso is a name by general interpretation that means either "καλή οπή" aka "beautiful to see" or from the verb "καλύβω/καλύπτω" which means "to conceal". So indicating both her beauty but also her obsession to conceal or cover Odysseus in her isle.

Anticlea and Euryclea have the opposite meanings of names as well as opposite roles. "Anticlea" comes from "anti" (��ντί) which means "opposite" or "against" and the word "kleos" (κλέος) which means "glory". "Euryclea" comes from the term "eurys" (ευρύς) which means "wide" and "kleos" aka "glory". Anticlea who is a queen has a name that means "Without Glory" and Euryclea, a slave has a name that means "Full of Glory". Anticlea died a non-glorious sad death while Euryclea got her own eseence of glory by waiting for and helping her master.

Pyndaros and some later sources in later legends says that Achilles was originally named Lygiron aka "the whining one" or "the crying one".

Antigone literally means "Against one's parents" or "Against one's kin". Indicating how she will go against Kreon and bury her brother

Aias the Telamon's son aka Ajax the Greater was named after the exclamation "Αι αι αι!" which is someone moaning in pain, indicating the painful tragedy of his life.

Both Ajax and Achilles seem to have given the explanation in post-homeric times that their names are somehow linked to crying and moaning in pain, indicating how both of them will experience pain.

Patroclus means "glory of his father", which is ironic given how originally Patroclus hishonors his father by accidentally killing his playmate but he receives honors post-mortem for he is given offerings along with Achilles and Antilochus in the tomb guarded by Nestor.

[starless-nightz]

Hi! I just saw your daughter of Hera headcanons and I adored them! Can I please get something similar but instead as the daughter of Hestia? Thank you!

Being a daughter of Hestia HCs

note -> I love Hestia so much shes one of my favorite greek gods <33

warnings -> none.

content includes -> fluff, platonic! Hestia, everyone at camp likes you.

People are surprised that Hestia has a child. The goddess of the hearth is, of course, a virgin goddess and works to keep peace among the gods, so when you arrive at Camp Half-Blood, it's something of a shock to everyone—Hestia rarely takes a direct part in demigod affairs, and the idea of her having a daughter is unexpected.

You're instantly seen as a soothing presence. The moment you enter the campsite, people notice how your presence seems to bring peace with it. Fights seem to die down when you're near, and tension just melts away. The other campers start looking to you for comfort and advice instead of seeking battle advice or quests. They come to you when they need to be heard or if they had a long day of training and want to unwind.

You spend a lot of time around campfires. You are a daughter of Hestia, and you only feel at home around the fire. You would usually busied by tending it, to keep it burning steadily. You're less concerned with combat and quests than some of the other campers. But you provide a much-needed service: keeping the camp's heart-cordial and warm.

Your cabin is a home for all the others. Just because Hestia herself didn't have a cabin, you're probably sorted into Hermes' cabin, or you've been given your own tiny spot. Whichever the case, wherever you go, your space becomes a haven to the campers. A place to lock themselves up and relax, talking it over, or just being with themselves, not judging each other. You always keep one warm blanket around, should any camper need one, or an extra mug of hot chocolate.

You have a gentle approach to leadership. You do not like to bark orders or rush into battle, yet people hold you in high regard. Your quiet wisdom and soothing way with mediation make you a natural peacemaker and the others often ask you to help negotiate conflicts among the campers. Even the more hot-headed children of Ares or Hermes listen to you when tempers flare.

Your powers are subtle, yet so very valuable. You do not yield fire in a destructive manner, as Hephaestus' children do. You can control hearth flames and bring warmth and comfort with you where you go. You can light fires that never burn out or summon a small flame to soothe someone's anxiety or stress. Your powers are more about protection and nurturing than about combat.

Older campers, especially those who have been through wars and quests, respect you. They have fought enough battles; the tranquil natured attitude is a change of scenery. You are there to remind them it's not all about the fights that make life worth living. Some even open their hearts to you, sharing with you their deepest fears and worries, knowing you'll never betray their trust.

You are attached to nature and home. Like Hestia, you find delight in simplicity and small quiet moments. You love helping in the kitchens, planting flowers, and just sitting with others by the fire. All these so-called ordinary activities happy for you, and you make other people notice the beauty of them too.

People come to you for advice and comfort. Even campers who are more inclined toward fighting or adventure will be drawn to the calmness you bring with you. Children of Athena might look to you when they're troubled by strategy; children of Apollo might come to you when they need emotional support after healing someone else. You're never too busy to listen, and people learn to rely on that.

You're often underestimated, and that's really okay by you. Most anybody who assumes that you aren't a fighter also thinks you won't be much use on quests or in battles. But when it comes to anything involving the heart, family, and loyalty, you're second to none. The way that emotional intelligence and quiet strength keeps people off guard till your role proves to be utterly important.

Chiron and the other leaders trust you highly You're one of those people whose opinions are sought often at camp morale or in case of disputes arising. Chiron values your sober-mindedness and your ability to look at things from every side. You're the one he trusts to help mediate issues between cabins, and your input is quite valued in camp meetings.

Around campfires, you are usually the life of the company. While others may sing or tell stories, you can sit by the fire, stirring and keeping it bright. You seek no attention, but your presence will be felt in the warmth of the flames and the serenity it gives. Without you, the campfire would just not be the same.

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #92: Percy/Apollo, but make it The Trojan War

Into every fandom, a time travel fic must fall - or in this case a second one, because I somehow got to thinking about the delightful PJO trope of Percy being thrown back in time to The Trojan War and realized that doing so misses out on a fantastic opportunity.

Or: What if post-TOA Percy Jackson and Apollo time travel to shortly before The Trojan War?

Just imagine it:

Everything follows canon through TOA, with one exception: rather than struggle to catch up in the mortal world following the Second Gigantomachy, Percy elects to stay at Camp Half-Blood. There he can homeschool at his own place with programs tailored towards ADHD children and still visit his family on the weekends - and not get into any more ridiculous situations in the mortal world when one of the gods kidnaps him or sends him on a quest to find their sneakers.

This, naturally, stresses his relationship with Annabeth - who, now that she's no longer living at camp full time, calls it the easy way out. But Percy is tired and struggling in mortal high school where everyone thinks he's a delinquent idiot when another option exists seems foolish. Percy and Annabeth break up and drift apart.

Enter Apollo, fresh from his latest stint as a mortal. He's trying to do his best by his children, which includes popping by camp as often as he can get away with - which in turn means spending a lot of time with Percy, who at this point is unofficially running CHB because it's not like Dionysus or even Chiron have done a brilliant job of it in recent times.

(First aid, strategy, and mythology classes are made mandatory. Percy personally ensures every demigod knows enough about self-defense to be able to survive long enough to run away or for help to arrive. Bullying is cracked down on so hard that it's this, not Percy's generally parental nature, that has people calling him Camp Mom.)

Percy and Apollo become friendly. Enough so that some of Apollo's kids assume they're dating and keeping it on the down-low so as not to draw Zeus' ire. Or Poseidon's. Or anyone else's. It's on one of their not-dates that they're yeeted into the past, without warning or explanation.

And so 19-year-old Percy Jackson and post-TOA Apollo find themselves in Ancient Greece c. 1220 BCE, roughly thirty-five years before the destruction of Troy.

The time travel is immediately obvious, as Apollo becomes the closest thing a god might experience to being high the moment they land in the past - being a powerful god in modern times is nothing like being a powerful god at the height of his power in ancient times. It's overwhelming (and somewhat alarming from Percy's POV, but kind of funny in retrospect.)

The specific date is harder to determine, but made clear when Hermes shows up and starts going on about you'll never believe what father's done now: he seduced the Spartan queen as a swan and she's laid an egg. Hera is furious - especially as they're saying the girl that hatched from it is the most beautiful in the world, even though she's only a few days old. It's nuts. By the way, where have you been? You missed the last two council meetings. Do you want Dad to punish you?

Apollo at this stage is very high. He's also been USTing over Percy for quite some time and is worried what the gods of this era might do to Percy without divine protection (smiting or seduction, it's all on the table). But mostly he's very high, and so to keep Percy close and safe he declares he's been off having the dirtiest of dirty weekends with his latest lover and that Hermes' presence is ruining the mood. So if he would kindly leave, please and thank you, he'd really rather get back to it without an audience.

This, naturally, is a surprise to Percy, but he rolls with it because 1) he doesn't have any better ideas on how to get rid of Ancient Greek Hermes so they can figure out what the hades is going on and 2) he's been USTing over Apollo ever since he recovered enough from Tartarus to start feeling attraction again.

Fueled by mutual UST, they put together a cover story that should hold the next time a god with too much prurient interest shows: Percy is now Prince Persē of Gadir - a Phoenician colony that will grow into the future Cadiz - well past the edge of the Greek world at this stage but not beyond belief for Poseidon to have visited, as it's obvious who his father is. They claim his mother is the King of Gadir's youngest sister and as such Persē had a royal upbringing, but was far enough down the line of succession that he was free to chose to sail east and explore his father's homeland. Apollo caught sight of him on his journey, one thing led to another, and here they are.

(Are there easier, more sensible cover stories? Possibly. But the UST refuses to let them consider any of them now that a fake relationship is on the table.)

Deciding what to do about The Trojan War is much harder. On the one hand, it's a lot of senseless death and destruction. On the other, without it we don't get The Iliad and The Odyssey - two of the most influential works of literature in western civilization - and Aeneas doesn't go off to Italy (leading to the founding of Rome, which would change the history of western civilization a lot). In the end, they decide to let the war happen but do their best to mitigate the worst parts of it.

And so Percy goes off and becomes a hero of Ancient Greece while pretending to be in a relationship with Apollo.

This stage of things is filed with angst from both parties, as both Percy and Apollo want a real relationship with each other but think they're abusing the other's trust by eagerly faking their relationship. There's a lot of PDA, a lot of feelings, and limited communication. It goes on for quite a while and would probably exasperate quite a few people if everyone in the know didn't think they were already in a relationship.

It's also filled with modern day Percy being confronted by realties of life in Ancient Greece. It's not just mortals knowing about - and interacting with - the gods: it's everything. It's food and clothes and language and culture and housing and travel. He can play a lot off it as being a traveler from the edge of the known world, but some of it has him asking Apollo if he's being rick rolled.

Apollo, meanwhile, is having troubles of his own. He is not the god he used to be and it's hard pretending otherwise. He tries to walk the line of doing enough to be believable and holding back enough not to despise himself, but it's a fine line, he fails often, and he spends a not insignificant amount of time worried he's backsliding.

And so it goes until 7-year-old Helen of Troy is kidnapped by Theseus to be his wife.

This, naturally, does not fly with Percy, who by this time has built up something of a reputation as a hero. He teams up with the Dioscuri to rescue Helen.

One would think this would earn him Zeus' favor. It doesn't. Instead, Zeus sends monsters to harry him for refusing to let Castor and Pollux take Helen's captors' loved ones captive and raze Aphidna for Theseus' crime. Percy manages to hold his own for quite a while but eventually, exhausted from the near-constant fighting, is gored and left for dead by the reformed Minotaur.

...and when Apollo arrives, frantic, to heal him, Percy ascends instead, becoming the greek version of Saint Sebastian - a minor god of heroes, strength in the face of adversity, and athleticism; sort of halfway between Hercules and Chiron.

Then and only then do Percy and Apollo finally get their act together, confessing to each other how much they care for the other and how much they don't want this to be fake any longer.

History proceeds apace - albeit with Persē being a second immortal trainer of heroes.

24 years after their arrival in the past, 16 years after Percy's ascension, The Trojan War begins. Despite their best efforts, there's only so much they can do - war is war and gods are gods. They are able to stop some of the worst excesses on both sides, but in the end Apollo still sends the plague that causes Agamemnon to take Briseis for his own, which caused Achilles' departure from the field, Patroclus' death, &c - not because Apollo was trying to maintain the timeline, but because in the instant he sent it he was angry and reverted to his old ways.

Troy falls...

...but when Zeus tries to use this as an excuse to ban gods from interacting with their demigod children, Apollo is able to say that's a bit extreme isn't it? with enough backing from the rest of the council that Zeus is forced to amend his ruling so that the gods are only allowed to freely visit their children on the "cross quarter days" that fall between each solstice and equinox (1 February, 1 May, 1 August, and 1 November).

This changes everything and nothing.

Time continues its inevitable march. Greece has its golden age before being conquered by Rome, which splits apart under its own weight and forms several smaller countries, which eventually spread their cultures around the world...

Apollo and Percy are there for it all. Persē is a minor figure in mythology, but never forgotten. He is ever-present in Apollo's temples - though the Church will later try to rewrite their myth so that they were merely sworn fighting partners, rather than lovers who eventually had a quite lovely wedding on Olympus (and then, at Poseidon's insistence, an even bigger ceremony on Atlantis). Percy takes over day-to-day operations of CHB from practically the moment the Trojan War ends.

...and so Persē is there the day Sally Jackson tries to get her son to camp, and is able to intervene when the Minotaur attacks on their border. He's able to meet her and her young son, Perseus ("Mom named me after you and the guy that killed Medusa since you're the only two heroes to have happy endings!"), and guide him through the trials that come with being a child of prophecy.

One day that Percy will hand Luke - who was never happy with the limited attention the gods were allowed to give their children - a cursed dagger so that Kronos can be defeated. That child will be offered godhood, turn it down, and go on to have a happy life with his eventual wife, Annabeth. He will never have his memories erased and be sent to Camp Jupiter. Gaia will not rise until long after that Percy's grandchildren are dead, and Zeus will not be quite so bullheaded when the proof of it is brought before him. That Second Gigantomachy is swift, well-coordinated, and fought without another Greek/Roman war brewing in the background.

And when they finally arrive at the day Apollo and Percy were originally sent back in time, Percy admits that while he is happy some version of him was better prepared for the war he was asked to fight in and allowed his peace afterward, he would change nothing about his own life, for it brought him to Apollo. The sunrise the next morning - on the first morning of the rest of their lives - is particularly spectacular.

Bonuses include:

Gaslighting Poseidon into believing that he's met Percy before the first time they're introduced. ("What do you mean you don't remember me, Father? You were present when I came of age! You gifted me this trident! Have I displeased you in some way?") It's an absolute masterclass that eventually manages to convince Poseidon that, yes, of course he knows Percy - and, maybe, he should check in on all his other demigod children to make sure he's not missed someone. (Two. He lost track of two of the others. Maybe he should be more careful about siring children in the future.) Apollo practically has to stuff his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing.

As much historical accuracy as can be crammed into the Percy trying to make sense of Ancient Greece chapters as possible. Think Of a Linear Circle - Part III by flamethrower levels of historical research. As much as can be shoehorned in without bogging down the plot.

Percy and Dionysus bonding over their mutual dislike of Theseus, though Percy generally gets along with his other half-siblings, especially the ones who come to camp young enough to keep from getting big heads over being the children of Poseidon.

Though Percy adores all the children in Cabin 7 (most of whom are born via blessing this time around), he and Apollo have at least one child of their own - maybe a demigod born before Percy's ascension to sell their fake relationship? Maybe a minor god who's later attributed a different parentage by mortals? Dealer's choice on details.

It never being made clear who, or what, or how, Percy and Apollo were sent into the past. All of Percy's oddities are attributed to him being foreign or formerly mortal, all of Apollo's to the fact that he's in love with someone who didn't die before their first anniversary, and no one ever guesses time travel is responsible for their eccentricities. Or that time travel was ever an option.

And that's all I have. As always, feel free to adopt, just link back if you ever decide to do anything with it.

More PJO Ideas | More Terrible Fic Ideas

[bvidzsoo]

Marionette

The second star of Cosmically divine...

☆ Author: bvidzsoo

☆ Pairing: Kang Yeosang x female reader

☆ Warning: nudity, cursing, consensual smut, corruption kink, blood, violence, cutting off a hand, allusion to pedophilia (but he pays for it lol karma is a bitch)

☆ Word count: 8.6k

☆ Rating: nsfw

☆ Genre: Greek mythology, Yeosang is Aphrodite's son, forbidden relation

☆ Summary: Doomed from the beginning, your mother, Hera, only saw a weapon in you. If you had once thought she loved you, she proved you wrong the second she cast you away once you failed to kill her enemy's son. Yeosang, Aphrodite's dearest and most prized offspring.

☆ A/N: Hii, lovelies! Second instalment of this series is here, and I swear to God this is the last time I write it in one setting bcz my wrist is falling off currently lol. I really really like this part, I am so curious to hear what you all think of it ! I genuinely appreciate your feedback, and the ones you've left on the previous part legit had me giggling and in tears, I love you all! <3 The taglist is still open, so lmk if you want to be added to it. This is a small side note, but I've read not too long ago a Yungi story that is absolutely amazing and is a Greek mythology au, and whenever I'm writing a part for this series I get reminded of it, so, let me share it with you if you are curious to read it, it's so good!! I'll point out a few things before I let you read the story:

★ This is inspired by Greek mythology, but I took creative liberty and adapted it to my likes, so keep that in mind while reading, thank you! ★ Aphrodite is the Goddess of love, beauty, desire, and all aspects of sexuality ★ Hera is the Goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth ★ Athena is the Goddess of war, handicraft, and wisdom and the patroness of Athens ★ Hades is the God of the underworld ★ Dionysus is the God of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre ★ Tartarus lies far beneath the disk of the world, under Hades' underworld, it's used as the ultimate of prisons, unpleasant and inaccessible ★ Elysian Fields is part of the underworld and is where the good go ★ Athenai are a group of women who followed and worshiped Athena ★ Dion is a village and municipal unit in the municipality of Dion-Olympos in the Pieria regional unit, Greece; it's known for its sanctuary of Zeus and its ancient city (definitely give it a visit if you're in the area!) ★ (Athens is the capital city of Greece) ocean divider; greek divider

☆ Taglist: @patchofblue @sthwaaberry @constipatedcorgi @holytidalwavechees3cake @cheolliehugs

@slowitdownmakeitb0uncy @hoeforsungie @madebysvt

༄ ҉ Series m.list ༄ ҉ 　★ previous star ★ 

            Right by the foothill of Mount Olympus and just a few hours away from the lively village of Dion, hidden in a little meadow of the evergreen forest, almost a day long walk from Lake Naia, lay the fun house of Dionysus. Men and women, Gods and Goddesses were welcomed here, scrutinizing and judgmental eyes turning into indifferent and lustful ones, whatever your heart desired a possibility to become reality if whispered to the right person or deity. Selfless and desperate men found solace in the caresses of nymphs that ventured down from Mount Olympus to the fun house, desperate to get away from the clutches of merciless deities that took advantage of them at the smallest chance given. Gods and Goddesses who were tired of the mistreatment enabled by their superiors and were in desperate need of a night where they could let go, often stumbled through the threshold of the fun house. Dionysus loved calling it a fun house because that’s what it truly was, a house that offered you whatever you had in mind when you thought of the word fun. It came in the form of alcohol, music, entertainment and dancing, but it also came in the form of wanton moans, desperate touches, and whispered climaxes. Whatever you had in mind, you’d probably find it at the fun house. The wine was unlimited here as long as you left something of yours behind and promised to return for another fun time, making you rather addicted to the feeling of adrenaline coursing through your veins as you anticipated your reward. Whether this was in the form of a beautiful nymph or innocent maiden, a hunky man that liked it rough or a young lad whose touch was soft, or perhaps the unlimited alcohol that intoxicated your mind and sometimes killed you before your time…it was all the visitors choice. Dionysus took great pleasure in watching the mere mortals crumble at his feet, and he loved it even more when he managed to break a deity beyond the point of madness.

Everyone here knew who I was. The empty jug lay next to my hand almost mockingly as my eyes bore into the table, head slightly buzzing and ears ringing from the loud music the few drunken musicians attempted to play. The harp had a beautiful sound if in the hands of someone that could yield it, but the one mortal that attempted to play it here made it sound borderline scratchy, fingers caressing the strings rather unprofessionally. Despite how crowded the fun house was, not a soul took it upon themselves to share a table with me, and I understood why. I wasn’t necessarily here for company, especially not that of a man, but it would’ve felt nice to lay my worries upon an ear willing to listen. I knew the sharp daggers secured onto the belt around my waist intimidated men, but I expected women to be more than willing to share stories with me. After all, it wasn’t a secret to anyone that I was part of the Athenai, Athena’s loyal followers, the leader of a cult that brought forth possibilities for women eager to become more than what their society instilled on them.

A rather young girl passed by the table, head hanging low as she clutched the large jug of wine to refill the thirsty men’s glasses, and I watched closely as she walked between the tables, pouring more wine for the one’s asking. She was young, too young for a place like this, but I figured her family was living scarcely and they needed every little penny they could get. Knowing the nature of the men that were so eager to frequent places as such, it came as no surprise when the young girl’s shoulder was clutched by a calloused hand, yanking her back violently. The girl’s eyes widened in panic as she looked up, clutching the jug to her chest as if afraid to spill anything. It was pure instinct by now to draw my weapons at the sight of a female getting harmed, and it came as no surprise when I felt my blood boil underneath my skin. The man that dared touch the little girl was laughing, gripping her chin and trying to force her to sit down at his table filled with six more men, all watching her with a predatory glint in their eyes. Athena has taught me her virtues, has passed her beliefs onto me, raised me as a strong and independent woman, one that would not sit idly by and watch an innocent soul get harassed, especially if so young. The cult of Athenai have sworn celibacy to Athena, and have sworn to protect maidens and women in dire danger until their last breath.

I moved stealthily, barely leaving a breeze in my wake as I stood from the table, eyes burning anyone that dared look my way, right hand gripping the handle of my most loved dagger. Hephaestus was a marvelous craftsman, every piece of armor was designed by Athena and myself, and then later on perfected and strengthened by him. I had great trust in my weapons and my abilities, having led a war by Athena’s side more than once. As I made my way towards the table full of vile men, the little girl’s body had started shaking as she struggled to fill their glasses with wine, the man that was holding her had his hand sliding down her fragile body. I tensed my muscles and willed my mind to remain focused, knowing that if I saw red right now, not even one man would leave this house in one piece. As a quiet and scared whimper left the young girl’s lips, my jaw clenched and I unsheathed my dagger, the other men sitting at the table finally noticing me as I came into their vicinity.

A wide smirk stretched onto my lips as I saw the terror in their eyes, and before they could alert their companion harassing the young girl, my dagger had long come down against the nimble skin of the man, the steel cutting through his flesh and bones, severing the hand he had on the table. The cry that left his mouth was gut-wrenching and it made everyone stop in their tracks, eyes wide as the lively music had cut off at once, the young girl jumping away with watering eyes as the man tried to stand and whirl around. But I just chuckled and grabbed his greasy hair, yanking his head back as I pressed my sharp dagger against his neck, making him suddenly become still. His chest was heaving and he had broken out into a cold sweat, whole body shaking as blood gushed out of his severed limb. I leered, leaning down close to his ear.

“You are in great luck tonight, my friend,” I hissed against his ear, his body reeking of alcohol and grime, “I cannot kill you unless you do something unforgivable, but that doesn’t mean I cannot teach you a lesson, you stupid mortal.”

The man had started sobbing, snot running down his nose and into his mouth as he tried to splutter out apologies, his companions frozen as they didn’t know whether to help him or not. I pressed my dagger just a little more against his skin, making sure to draw blood as the man cried out in agony again, making me grin widely as I released him, but not before banging his head against the table hard enough to knock him out. His companions jumped to their feet and rushed over to the passed-out man as I turned my head to search for the young girl, finding her cowering behind a woman that was silently crying. I wiped down the blood from my dagger onto the white cloth I had hidden in my pocket as I walked towards the two, motioning for the woman to step aside. She did so quickly, revealing the young girl to me. I sighed as I leaned down to be eye level with her, gently wiping her tears off her face.

“Do not cry child, you’re safe now.” I muttered to her gently, unlatching a satchel from my belt, “Take this and head to Athens tomorrow, take your family with you if needed. Pray to Athena tonight and tell her that her most trusted apprentice saved you from a vile man, ask for her blessings and protection.”

“Won’t she want something in return?” The girl’s voice was shaky as she reluctantly accepted the coins, probably the sum more than she’s ever made here at the fun house. I smiled and gave a pat to her head as I stood up straight again.

“You are a smart girl; Athena will like that.” I hummed, fixing her hair behind her head, tilting her chin up to look in her eyes, “If you wish to be strong and able to protect yourself, all you have to offer to Athena is a promise to remain a maiden, child, and she will have you. You’ll thrive under her cult and you’ll have a good life in Athens.”

Gratitude graced the young girl’s face and she bowed her head deeply, bending at her middle to go even lower, making me smile at her display of gratitude, “Thank you, my heavenly protector.”

I chuckled as I gave a last pat to the girl’s head, looking around the still deadly silent fun house. I grinned and took my leave, knowing that the mood would be ruined as I wasn’t welcomed anymore for the night. When I reached the door, I turned around and bowed mockingly before I was out of the crowded and warm house, welcoming the cool breeze of the summer night. As the door closed behind myself, the music picked back up and the chatter and shouts resumed like nothing had happened, and I took a moment to clear my mind. I headed to the corner of the house and leaned against its structure, sighing as I looked up at the stary night, wondering whether I should return to Olympus now, or head back to Athens myself. But something snapped next to me and the unmistakable aura of an Olympian God invaded my sense, forcing my body to remain alert as I gently clutched the handle of my dagger.

“No need for that, dear,” I slightly relaxed at the familiar deep voice, but failed to spot the figure in the pitch-black night, “I am not here to harm you—or any of the women you protect.”

“Then why are you here?” I snapped back, growing a little irritated that the God wasn’t showing himself to me.

“I’m here to collect a very dear soul.” The deep voice answered back, sounding amused at my irritation as the nauseating scent of tobacco filled my nose. Sometimes, I wondered whether Death was timeless, whether he could travel between times unseen and unknown to us. Even as deities, we couldn’t predict the future nor if we truly were everlasting, but there was a glint in Death’s eyes that held secrets nobody but him knew about.

“I didn’t kill the man, you don’t have to snitch on me—” His deep giggle cut me off, and there he was, finally, showing himself to me as he stepped out of the shadows. His body was clad in a midnight black suit, tailored to fit his body perfectly as if it was his second skin. He had cut his hair shorter sometime not long ago, and it stood up in a way that made him look like he didn’t belong amongst us. Hades’ sharp eyes were crinkled as he smiled widely, his front teeth crooked as the cigar hung loosely between his teeth.

“I’m not here for that man,” Hades chuckled as the cigar bobbed with every word he said, “he’s going straight to Tartarus. I’m here for someone else.”

I followed his line of sight as he gazed inside the fun house through the window, eyes settling on an old man who was smiling and chatting by the bar with a beautiful young woman, “He’s lively, but his heart has weakened. I hope he hasn’t forgotten about our little trade back when he was still youthful and handsome.”

“You love making trades.” I sighed under my breath as I watched Hades grin, then take a long drag of his strongly smelling cigar. I never dared ask where he got those from, I never saw anyone else smoking them. It felt like it was somehow beyond me and our times, like it was better if I stayed naïve. Hades was an enigma nobody could fully decipher; it was best if you didn’t ask many questions. He had a way with his words, he could easily trick you into trades and deals that were only beneficial to him. The tale of signing your soul away to him unassumingly was more common than not, and I appreciated my life, cherished it dearly even.

“That I do, indeed.” He hummed, sharp and dark eyes falling on me again. He also loved flirting with people that he wasn’t supposed to flirt with, “Still worshiping the lovely Athena?”

I snorted under my breath, crossing my arms in front of my chest as I leaned against the building again, “It’s what I was created for.”

“Ah, yes,” Hades hummed, taking a long drag of his cigar, smoke wafting up in the air around us, “my bitch of a sister sure loves sending out other people to do the dirty work for her. If only Zeus wasn’t such a man-whore—”

“You speak rather freely, Mingi.” I narrowed my eyes at the God of death, interrupting what was supposed to be his inner monologue.

“Of course, I do.” He chuckled upon hearing his real name leave my lips, throwing the cigar onto the ground as he stepped on it. I’ve seen him do that many times, yet I still haven’t figured out why he did that, “What? What are they going to do to me? Banish me? Chase me away? Kill me? Death is everlasting, my dear, just as birth is. Even when you will stop existing, I’ll be still here. I’m one with Gaea. Unlike many of our kin, I do not need to be worshipped to exist.”

That made me think, made my mind dwell on thoughts that they weren’t supposed to dwell on, “Are you saying we won’t always be here?”

“I’d love to chat more with you, my dear.” Mingi smiled mischievously, his eyes narrowing into playful slits as he stepped closer, caressing my cheek gently. He was perhaps the only man that’s ever touched me—the one I willingly allowed to touch me—his touch lacking the lust no other man could even as much so as hide, “But my old man really needs to go now, and Hera’s called for you.”

“Are you stealing Hermes’ job now?” I chuckled, patting his hand before I removed it, dusting my hands off.

“No,” Mingi chuckled, shaking his head, “I’d rather die then be the messenger of these bored deities that love beefing with each other for no reason.”

“Do you reckon why my mother is asking for me?” I raised an eyebrow as I chuckled at Mingi’s humor.

“No idea, but she looked beyond devious.” He sighed, slowly stalking towards the entrance of the fun house, Dionysus would certainly hate that there would be two deities tormenting his fun house tonight, “Perhaps has something to do with lovely Aphrodite.”

I hummed, nodding my head in goodbye as Mingi disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the darkness of the night. Well, off to Mount Olympus I was.

            And Mingi was right, my mother did summon me due to something concerning Aphrodite. The palace was brightly lit despite it being after midnight by the time I made it home, and my steps were silent against the marble stones despite how lightly I walked. Athena made sure teach me that. As I had knocked on the door of my mother’s bedroom, it opened up instantly and allowed me inside. She sat on her sofa, snacking on some grapes as her two servants fanned her with big leaves, looking stoic and avoiding eye contact at all costs. My mother’s mouth pulled into a wide smile upon seeing me, her eyes a bright color and glimmering under the divine light. I fixed my posture and bowed my head in respect as I walked closer to her, the armor I wore completely the opposite of her satin indigo dress.

“Daughter,” She cooed, her voice warm and loud in the confines of her bedroom, “it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

That was true, indeed, she only met me when she needed something from me. I wasn’t to any use for her unless she was sending me out to kill the people she didn’t like, or have tried to bewitch her bellowed husband. I have long come to terms with the fact that Athena was more of a motherly figure than my own mother would ever be.

“Indeed, mother, how may I help you this time?” I asked emotionlessly, resting my hand on the handle of my dagger as it brought me comfort.

My mother chuckled as she raised her hand, the servants stopping their actions, “Out.”

They wasted no time in scurrying out, and I watched as they bowed deeply to my mother then to me, and fled the room at last. My mother sat up, pushing her dark brown hair behind her shoulders, her satin dress falling down on one shoulder. She was a Goddess almost as beautiful as Aphrodite, Hera could have anyone she wanted. Many worshipped her and tried to whisk her away from Zeus, but she only had eyes for that tyrant.

“Well, now that it’s just the two of us,” Hera chuckled, her expression twisting into something sly, “I’m sure you’ve heard of Aphrodite’s children, my daughter.”

“I have.” I confirmed as I raised an eyebrow at my mother. I have even met a few, but they weren’t very likeable, much like their mother.

“What about Yeosang?” My mother’s voice dripped with venom, palms curling into fists.

“Mere tales whispered by naiads is all I know of him.” I answered, gulping when my mother raised to her feet, a deity easily taller than most men. She stepped off her pedestal and slowly approached me, hand extending as she cupped my cheek. Unlike Mingi’s tender caress, hers was cold and borderline painful.

“I have a very important mission for you, my daughter.” My mother’s eyes sparkled with a vicious glint, teeth showing as she leered, “Someone had spoken ill of poor Aphrodite and she wants the man dead. But we know she never directly dirties her hands, and instead sends one of her children. Yeosang is her most prized child, my daughter, I need you to go find him, and kill him.”

I withheld the snort that threatened to bubble past my lips, impressed by my mother’s ignorance and the irony of her words. Wasn’t she sending me out to take care of her dirty business? The hatred between the two Goddesses runs deep, the two never settling their differences and finding ways to torment not just each other, but those around themselves as well. I was raised to hate Aphrodite, by my mother at least, because Athena’s teachings taught me different things. I wasn’t supposed to hate no woman, nor Goddess, but my mother couldn’t know that. I was more loyal to Athena than to her anyway.

“Is he going down to the mortals?” I questioned and pulled my head back slowly to get rid of my mother’s uncomfortable caress against my cheek. She hummed, giving me a scrutinizing look as her eyes took me in, a small grin spreading onto her lips.

“You’ve become a fine warrior, my daughter, I knew handing you over to Athena was a smart choice.” My mother sighed happily, eyes hardening at once, “You cannot fail me, my daughter, Aphrodite never lets Yeosang out of her sight, this is your one and only chance to kill him for me, do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.” I bowed my head and my mother hummed, turning her back to me as she walked back towards her sofa.

“He’s in Dion, you’ll find him at the brothel in the East side of the village.” She sat back on her sofa, snapping her fingers as the doors opened instantly, the two servants rushing back inside, “And do not worry about recognizing him, you’ll know once you see him. He resembles Aphrodite a lot.”

And perhaps my mother hated that even more than the fact that Aphrodite was more beautiful than her. I didn’t worry about recognizing Yeosang, amongst mortals, an Olympian could be easily picked out in a crowd.

            Life in the village compared to the life of the Olympians was rather lamentable. Few people were well-off to live in spacious mansions that resembled the homes of the Olympians, as most of these mortals lived in humble and small cottages. But no matter how poor or rich, the nightlife in Dion never lacked as inns and brothels were overfilled with rowdy and insatiable people. I had disguised myself as a maiden of the village, a simple white dress that’s seen better days replacing the armor that felt like a second skin and brought me comfort. I felt exposed as my dark hair flowed freely against my shoulders and back, making me more vulnerable as anyone could easily grab onto it. The only time I wore it like this was when I bathed, in a battle you couldn’t allow anything to distract you. The sleeves of my dress were long, covering my arms as my two daggers were strapped tightly against the inner parts of them, I would never willingly bear myself vulnerable around anyone I didn’t trust.

Since I was disguised, nobody could tell that I was Hera’s daughter and Athena’s apprentice, making men boldly approach me and try to flirt their ways into bedding me for the night. I hated every single second of it, narrowly avoiding their touches and turning down their offers in a charming manner, not wanting to anger anyone and draw attention onto myself before I was done with what I was here for. The brothel was overspilling with people at the ungodly hour of the witches, and it turned out to be a hard task to find Aphrodite’s son, Yeosang. I didn’t know who I was looking for, but I would know upon seeing him. After walking around and watching the crowd carefully, I let the people push me towards the bar as I ordered a pint of beer for myself, leaning against the surface as I surveyed the crowd once again. The music was loud and the dancing people grew in number as others disappeared upstairs, occupying the empty rooms for mere seconds of pleasure. I had just taken a sip of the rather bitter beer, when an overwhelming feeling of warmth made me look up alarmed. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to pinpoint the direction it was coming from, my blood boiling underneath my skin as a weird sense of calmness tried to push through my alert disposition. My heart was racing and my ears had started ringing at once, and I knew the few sips of beer weren’t the cause of it. I was in the presence of another divinity. And upon realizing this, through the dancing people emerged an ethereal looking man.

The seemingly white glow that no mortal seemed to notice was almost alarming, coating his skin fair and making it glow as the softest and gentlest smile settled on his blood-red lips upon noticing me. Even from a distance, his eyes were gentle and warm in color, golden swirling around his irises as he graciously walked closer, hands clasped in front of him. Somebody crashed into him, but instead of screaming and pushing them away, he continued smiling as his lips moved slowly, probably reassuring the person that it was no problem. His hair fell around his face in a light brown curtain, framing his forehead and cheekbones as his nose was petite, his jawline sharp. My grip tightened around the pint of beer, suddenly my heart racing in my chest as the warmth I have felt previously only worsened the closer the deity walked. I found myself struggling to intake air, as if the man had his grip around my throat, refusing me the air I desperately needed. His smile only widened as I felt my legs weaken, the man now standing in front of me. His scent was sweet like honey and roses, overpowering the unpleasant odor coming from the humans.

“Another deity,” His voice was deep, unlike his soft features and what you’d expect to hear from him, “it’s rare any comes down to this brothel.”

“You’re here too.” I found my voice, completely surprised by how breathy it sounded. I gulped and took a quick sip of my beer, hoping it would help fix the dryness of my throat. The deity, Yeosang, watched my action closely, chuckling lowly as his lips pursed. The longer I looked at his face, the more I understood why he was Aphrodite’s favourite child. He was beyond perfect and gracious, well-mannered, and soft spoken. Perhaps if Aphrodite didn’t exist, he’d be Aphrodite instead. But nobody, no mortal or deity, could be prettier than the Goddess of beauty herself, and I noticed with mild surprise that Yeosang had a blood-red discoloration around his left temple in the shape of an almost heart.

“Are you here to satiate your vices?” His warm eyes shifted onto the beer again, and I chuckled, looking down at it too. I had to play my part if I wanted to kill him tonight, therefore, I lied.

“Some vices you can never fully satiate.” My expression was serious as my eyes bore into Yeosang’s, “I am tired of the fakeness of the Olympians, I want to feel something real.”

Something alluring flashed inside Yeosang’s eyes as he, too, leaned against the bar, reaching out for my pint of beer, “Mortals are fun little toys—until they start playing Gods and want to replace you.”

“Good thing we are irreplaceable, then.” I grinned as Yeosang chuckled, bringing up the pint to his lips. They parted slowly, his gaze burning into mine, a heated feeling suddenly encompassing my whole being. I have never felt that before, and suddenly I was nervous. Could it be that Yeosang was manipulating me somehow? All deities had powers to a certain extent, but his and mine were limited, we weren’t any major God the mortals ardently worshipped. I tried to reassure myself that it couldn’t have been him as he slowly lowered the pint from his lips, placing it back onto the bar.

“A deity like yourself certainly cannot enjoy that vile thing?!” Yeosang sounded almost appalled as he pressed his bony fingers against his lips, making me chuckle as I pulled the pint back towards myself.

“Someone as sophisticated as yourself would enjoy wine, I suppose.” Yeosang blushed as he hid his mouth with his hand, averting his eyes down to the floor. I smirked, feeling victorious as I raised my hand for the waitress to come over. She was quick on her feet, thankfully, and I swiftly ordered a glass of wine for my prey. My plan was perfectly working out, I didn’t think it’d be so easy to lure him into my trap. Perhaps Aphrodite shouldn’t have kept her precious son so sheltered, he was too naïve for his own good, and it would bring his downfall tonight. As Yeosang shyly looked up, I fixed my expression, trying to look as inoffensive as I could.

“I have always believed there is no point in hiding who we are,” I tensed as Yeosang suddenly leaned forward, invading my personal space as the waitress delivered his glass of wine, “after all, at some point people see through your façade. It usually falls when you think others aren’t watching you, even if it’s the slightest crack, somebody will notice.”

Feeling speechless, I could only watch as Yeosang smiled shyly and took his glass of wine, murmuring a quiet thank you before he took a tentative sip of it. My heart hadn’t stopped hammering against my ribcage ever since he walked over, and I could only pray to Athena that I wouldn’t start sweating now. There was something about Yeosang’s aura that exuded calmness but alure at the same time, and I found it hard to make sense of these new emotions surfacing in my body. Everything tingled and burned, suddenly finding his proximity not close enough, needing him to push me up against a wall and devour me. If Athena were to hear these vile thoughts, she’d be just as disgusted by them as I was. I tried to gulp down the nausea rising up through my stomach, and as I opened my mouth to speak up, a man tumbled into Yeosang. His wine was almost spilled, but he saved it last minute as he helped the man stand up straight.

“Oh,” Yeosang whispered, face lighting up in recognition, “old friend! I thought I have forever lost you to the crowd!”

The man reeked of every odor one could think of, yet Yeosang went and placed his arm around his shoulder, pulling him into his side. I watched with furrowed eyebrows as the mortal hiccupped, eyes half lidded as he struggled to stand up straight. The glass of wine was abandoned as Yeosang’s full attention was on the man, and I took a deep breath as I felt my pulse quicken even more. I took a quick glance around myself to make sure nobody was watching us, and then reached inside my dress, finding the hidden vial between my breasts easily.

“You abandoned me, boy!” The man’s words were slurred as he clumsily exclaimed, and I acted in a swift moment, pouring the poison into Yeosang’s glass unnoticed. My fist curled around the vial until I crushed it into small shards, the pain never reaching my skin as it instantly turned into dust. I watched the poison quickly dissolve in Yeosang’s drink just as the deity chuckled and looked back at me. My eyebrows shot up as I quickly smiled, hoping I didn’t look suspicious.

“This old friend of mine loves dancing,” Yeosang chuckled as he maneuvered the man around so that they stood side by side facing me, “I had to abandon him for a while.”

“Yes, you did.” The man’s head fell a little forward before Yeosang steadied him, making me wonder just how strong the deity was. His muscles were lean and not bulging as most Gods liked to look like, yet it was unquestionable that he was rather strong as he held up the man twice his size.

“Old friend, tell me something.”

The old man perked up as he tried to open his eyes more, “What, boy?”

“The young lady you introduced to me earlier,” Yeosang’s smooth voice turned slightly darker, subtly sneering. My eyebrows furrowed as the soft expression swiftly slipped off his face, “what have you said to her?”

“Oh!” The drunk man exclaimed, lips pulling into a drunken smirk as he looked at me, eyes raking over my body. I wished to wipe out my daggers and gauge his eyes out, but tonight I had to behave, “That lady cannot be compared in beauty to anyone else, she’s more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.”

The air seemed to freeze around us as my breath halted. Yeosang’s smile turned cold, eyes narrowing as he hummed, his grip on the man’s shoulder visibly tightening, “Hmm, I see.”

I didn’t know what to do as Yeosang turned his head, one eyebrow raised as if in question. I cleared my throat and averted my eyes as I instead grabbed my pint and threw back the remained of my beer. Yeosang’s eyes slowly shifted onto his glass of wine and he paused, then reached out and took the glass. I watched with a hammering heart as he raised it up to his lips, then slowly tilted the glass, the wine almost touching his blood-red lips.

“Drinking in front of your elderly without offering it to them first?!” The old man coughed a little, giving Yeosang a glare as if his respect had been broken. Yeosang froze, then I watched in mild alarm as he lowered his glass, shooting the man an apologetic smile.

“Where have my manners gone?” He shook his head at himself and the man hummed. I opened my mouth to interject into their exchange, but instead felt my jaw fall open in shock as Yeosang forcefully grabbed the man’s chin and yanked it open, pushing his head back by it, pouring the wine down his throat aggressively. I gasped as I watched the man gargle and try not to choke on the poisoned wine, my palms turning into fists as my muscles tensed.

“There, you can have all the wine.” Yeosang snickered, throwing the empty glass onto the floor, it shattering loudly as he slowly turned his head, tilting it to the side. My eyes hardened in an instant as I noticed the change in his demeanor, the serene and innocent look gone from Yeosang’s face as he smirked, leaning towards me, “Those who speak my mother’s name in vain shall be punished, right, Y/N?”

There hasn’t been a time before where a man won over me. I was trained for war, I have fought battles that took the lives of hundreds of men, I have slain men who have mistreated women and yet…a pathetic son of a Goddess had me fumbling in panic as he released the old man who had started heaving for air, clutching his throat. Yeosang stepped back and watched as I caught the old man, eyes wide as the poison rather quickly brought him to his demise. I didn’t know what to do as his body started growing heavier, and when I made eye contact with Yeosang, he was already backing into the crowd with a poisonous glint in his eyes and a vicious smirk on his lips.

He had won this game.

I felt anger surge through my body, but I couldn’t act on my desires to chase after the deity and have his head. And so, I played the part of my disguise as I released the man. Then, I opened my mouth and shrieked.

            The slap stung no more than a battle scar yet had to, and still, my ego was bruised beyond my body has ever been. I gritted my teeth as I refused to cower under my mother’s seething eyes. Something broke next to us and I jumped, not used to my mother’s hysterical displays. Now I understood why Zeus never tried to anger her, and yet still failed miserably each time.

“You wench,” Hera hissed, grabbing my chin and yanking my head forward, “You’re good for nothing.”

I tried not to snort as I looked down, avoiding eye contact. I have never failed before. I was more than good, but she was too blinded by her childish hatred for Aphrodite to actually notice that.

“You are a disgrace and an abomination!” My mother continued to hiss, her grip turning painful on my chin, “Look me in the eyes, you stupid wench!”

Fury licked under my skin, igniting my veins and making me tense my muscles and calm my mind as I yearned to reach for my dagger and push it through her nonexistent heart. I gulped and looked up into her eyes, remaining emotionless like Athena had trained me.

“You are not my daughter.” Hera hissed, leaning in my face, “I banish you from my home, you are never to step foot inside my temple and sanctuary. Perish from in front of my eyes before I turn you into nothing.”

She pushed me away like I have burned her, and I gulped, biting down on my tongue to keep myself calm and level-headed. I didn’t want to turn into nothing, that I knew. So, instead, I bowed my head and took off towards the door, grabbing the handle of my dagger for comfort, “And to think I nourished you and cherished you for nothing.”

My grip faltered around the handle of the door and something coiled in my chest as I took a deep breath, trying to talk myself down from what was about to come out of my mouth. I ripped the door open and chuckled, turning my head to look smugly at Hera, “Thank fuck I won’t have to see your stupid face ever again, you hysterical bitch.”

The scream Hera let out only made me laugh as I slammed the door shut behind me, fury making my body feel like it was on fire. That feeling was only ever present when I was in battle, and protecting women. I felt my whole being vibrate as I left the stupid home of Hera, steps hurried as I knew who to seek out for guidance. I will find Yeosang and I will kill him, Athena may you be my guide and protect me in my quest.

            Hunting came as second nature; I could do it even with my eyes closed. The ground of the forest was solid underneath my feet and the trees tall and offering shade from the blazing sun as I swiftly advanced towards the meadow. There was nothing in this world I couldn’t track and hunt down. Man, woman, animal, deity. Athena had let me know in a whisper where Aphrodite’s pond resided, a place that only her, her nymphs, and Yeosang knew about. The deity often came here to spend the hot days of summer cooling off in the ever-clear Pond of Beauty. Aphrodite had created it herself for her offspring and those that she considered worthy of her treasure. The pond resided close by the foothill of Mount Olympus, on the territory of the Gods and Goddesses. No human could come here, unless they wished for a painful death.

My bow and arrow lay snuggly in my hands as I held onto them tightly, eyes narrowed as I listened closely to the sounds of the forest. The meadow was just one step ahead, I was hiding behind the bushes and the tall trees, eyes surveying the area before I looked out onto the meadow, the pond vast and its water glimmering under the sunlight that fell directly on it. Sweat had gathered on my brows as I took deep breaths, remaining calm as I noticed ripples on the surface of the pond, a head covered in light brown hair slowly surfacing. My heart started hammering against my ribcage as I watched the deity swim around in the pond, a serene look on his face as he seemed to be glowing in the sunlight, his light brown hair turning almost as golden as the swirls in his warm brown eyes. He floated around graciously, his milky skin translucent as it made contact with the water and the sunlight.

I tensed my muscles and drew my right arm back, aiming my arrow towards Aphrodite’s beautiful creation. I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath, tuning in to the sounds of nature as I relaxed my body, preparing to release the arrow the second my eyes opened. I felt my body move slightly, align in the direction Yeosang was, and I sighed quietly, feeling the warm breeze caress my skin tenderly all of a sudden. The birds seemed to sing louder here, the grass seemed to brush up against my ankles gently, and the breeze carried a soft smell of pomegranates, honey, and roses. I gulped, feeling my lips part in another quiet sigh as suddenly my ears started buzzing, my skin jittery out of nowhere. My eyebrows slightly furrowed, feeling a little unnerved as my body grew warmer and warmer, flesh burning underneath the heavy silver armor. I gulped and willed my mind to focus, to let go of everything that served as a distraction, and opened my eyes as my fingers holding the string had started slipping, about to release the arrow aimed towards the mesmerizing deity.

But when my eyes opened, my body froze as if someone else was controlling it. Yeosang’s brown eyes shone golden as they bore into mine even at the great distance, and I felt my fingers tremble as I reluctantly lowered my weapon. I struggled to breathe as I felt my legs moved forward, guiding me towards the pond, away from the safety of the trees and the high grass. There was something very wrong as my skin burned and my heart raced, and I couldn’t stop myself from approaching Yeosang. His blood-red lips pulled into a faint smile as my hand raised to undo my bun, my dark hair falling down and fawning my back as I sighed in content. Another step towards him had me unclasping the silver armor from around my torso, my hands trembling as I couldn’t look away from Yeosang. I felt drawn in, mesmerized, and charmed. A madman would say it was witchcraft, but I couldn’t tell what was happening to me.

Yeosang’s lips parted as he whispered something I couldn’t hear just yet, and I felt my hands undo the bindings of my corset as it soon fell from around my body, leaving it bare for Yeosang’s eyes to drink in my exposed skin. I shivered and my arms got covered in goosebumps as Yeosang’s grin turned wider, beckoning me into the pond as he extended one hand. My mind was screaming at me to stop, to unsheathe my dagger from my belt and throw it at Yeosang, but instead, my body moved on its own as I undid my belt and then the bindings of my pants, stopping for a second to push down the garment after I stepped out of my boots.

Yeosang’s tongue darted out to lick at his blood-red lips, and I gasped as my feet came in contact with the cold water of the pond. I was bare in front of a man, walking towards him, offering myself up to him. What I was doing was forbidden, I would be banished and probably killed, but I couldn’t stop. No matter how much I wanted to, my body didn’t stop moving towards Yeosang. The cold water clung to my overheated skin and my heart pounded in my chest as I couldn’t feel the soil underneath my feet anymore. I was forced to swim further inside the pond. I wanted to stop, but my body wouldn’t until it reached Yeosang. My lips trembled from both fright and the cold, and the closer I got to Yeosang, the wider his grin got. He was preening at me, eyes flashing golden like his hair in the sunlight, and suddenly, I was face to face with him. I shuddered out a breath, chest contracting as I tried to yank myself far away from him, but suddenly the water felt like it had hands and had immobilized me to my spot.

“Y/N,” Yeosang’s voice carried amusement, eyes twinkling in the same manner, “it’s rude to impose on someone that’s bathing.”

I couldn’t find my voice, my throat had gone dry, my whole body was trembling. I couldn’t be seen bare by any man or deity, I had to kill Yeosang. I would be never forgiven if I didn’t, if he touched me…I would be punished for an eternity.

“Why are you here?” He raised an eyebrow, lowering himself under the water until his eyes and hair were visible only. I tried to calm my frantic heartbeat, to regulate my breathing once again.

“I’m here to kill you.” I hissed out, eyes hardening as Yeosang pushed his head above water, giggling.

“Without your armor, you’re nothing but a woman, Y/N.” My blood boiled under my skin, and I wasn’t trembling from the cold anymore, it was from anger. My jaw clenched as I glared at Yeosang, still trying to break free of this invisible spell he’s put on me.

“Is this where your mask slips and you show just how rotten you are at your core?” Yeosang’s head lulled back as he laughed, water dripping from his hair once he faced me again.

“You think I’m doing something to you,” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as his eyes darkened, just like at the brothel. He didn’t look innocent anymore, he looked menacing and dangerous, “but I am not. The pond brings out your deepest, darkest desires.”

Something coiled in my chest and I felt my cheeks heat up, mortified at what Yeosang was implying, “How dare you?! I am an Athenai, I have sworn to serve Athena. I have no such desires like the one you’re implying I have—”

I stiffened as Yeosang reached out, his warm fingertips softly touching my skin, “Then why is your skin ablaze? Why does your flesh sing to me to come closer? To feel you? To touch you? To devour you?”

I gasped as Yeosang swum uncomfortably close, palm caressing my cheek bigger than it, eyes boring into mine as I felt unraveled by the simplest touch, “Why do you want me to fill you up here until you’re a begging mess, until you have forgotten who you are?”

It felt like the sunlight was cut off and my neck was snapped into half, when, underwater, I felt nimble fingers trace the outline of lips untouched before, slipping between them and drawing out a sound that’s never left my mouth before, “Why does it throb for me?”

Yeosang’s lips brushed against my ear as I moaned loudly, head falling back when his fingers touched a spot that had the name of Gaea on my lips, praying to be forgiven for the sins I was committing, “Kill me with your bare hands, Y/N, and I shall grant you one wish.”

I whimpered as I finally felt released by the clutches of the water, hands flying out as I clung onto Yeosang’s shoulders, eyes screwing shut when the heel of his palm pressed harder against my core, massaging it in a circular motion, toes curling at the blinding feeling that had my whole body on fire like no battle could ignite it. Yeosang’s blood-red lips pressed against the vein pulsating in my neck, and I bit my bottom lip, trying to muffle the sounds I was making as he dipped his fingers lower, prodding at a hole I didn’t know existed before, “Yeosang.”

“Say my name, my goddess.” Yeosang growled against my neck, his teeth grazing my skin as I felt him grip onto my hip with his free hand, “Tell me how badly you want me dead.”

I moaned as one finger slowly slipped inside that hole, my mouth falling open in a loud gasp as I felt my muscles contracting, clenching down on his digit, “I shall skin you alive and deliver you to your mother myself.”

Yeosang moaned as his lips left my neck, eyes boring into mine as he faced me again. His hand from my hip slowly slipped down onto my thigh and he guided it around his own hip, flushing our bodies together as he moved his finger in and out, making my eyebrows furrow at the unusual pleasure that erupted in my whole body.

“If you do,” Yeosang whispered against my lips, gently biting my bottom lip, “I shall persuade Athena to forgive you for your sins.”

I gasped as the pace of his finger quickened, his thumb pressing on the bundle of nerves again, and his name echoed in the meadow as I cried it out loudly, body shaking from the overwhelming new feelings I haven’t felt before, “Oh, Yeosang.��

“I know,” He whispered, suddenly his finger gone from my throbbing core, and I whined as my eyes flew open, searching his face for an explanation. His golden eyes had glazed over and were a dark brown, his skin and hair not that bright anymore as clouds shielded the sun for us, almost as if they were shielding us from the eyes of the Gods and Goddesses themselves, “it’s overwhelming for the first time, but you’re doing so well for me, my goddess.”

He guided my other leg too around his hip, and I anchored myself against his lean body as I crossed my ankles behind his bottom. I could feel something hard and heavy press against my thigh and Yeosang smirked, pushing the hair out of my face as his lips pressed against mine featherlike, experimentally. My heart was beating fast, skin on fire as I felt the hard member line up at the entrance Yeosang’s finger had been inside previously, and I gulped, feeling fear for the first time in my life. No man, no battle, no war was scarier than the sin I was about to commit. But I wanted it. I knew now, I’ve always wanted it, I’ve just been repressing it desperately in honour of my oath.

“Yeosang, my god, take me.” It was a bare plea against his lips, and then they were devouring mine, coaxing them open as his tongue slid against mine at the same time as my hole was stretched open as the hard and heavy member seemed to split me apart at once, drawing out whimpers of pain as Yeosang’s lips tried to muffle them. I felt full, yet it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough as his hands gripped my hips bruisingly, guiding me up and down on his member as Yeosang whimpered, tongue tangled with mine as the painful sting in my core resided, but wasn’t as bad as it had been a second ago.

“Promise yourself to me and you shall live.” Yeosang’s low voice demanded as he mercilessly slammed my hips down, turning my mind into a jumbled mess as I was impaled again and again, wondering if the slice of my dagger would ever come close to this feeling.

“I am protector of maidens and women,” I groaned as a hand groped at my exposed chest, fiddling with the nipple, my nails digging into Yeosang’s back until they drew blood, “I will never promise myself to a man.”

“Then savor this feeling,” Yeosang hissed, and a yelp mixed with a loud moan left my throat as the next thrust was sharp, hitting a spot that had my hips moving more desperately on its own, trying to set a faster rhythm than the one Yeosang tried to set, “because Athena is on her way here, and when you leave this pond, you’ll be dead.”

My fingers slipped into his hair and I yanked on the wet strands, moaning as the new pace kept hitting that spot again and again, my mind wishing for nothing but to bring pain to Yeosang, “And you’ll be dying with me, my god.”

Yeosang moaned as I slammed my lips against his, painful and bruising as our teeth clanked together, noses pressing harshly against each other as I found it harder and harder to make sense of my thoughts as I had started succumbing to the pleasure completely.

Whether the promise of giving myself to Yeosang slipped past my lips or not, the clouds were witness to it, and Athena’s arrow would be the judge of it when Judgment Hour comes. Perhaps Hades would be sweet enough to let me reside in the Elysian Fields in the afterlife, “Does it feel real now?”

❱❱ Next star

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❀ complete the forms if you're interested! ^^

[snowwybear]

𝔟𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔠𝔞𝔱 𝑔𝑜𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 | 𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨

“You look like a slut”. You said to Vinnie as you walked into the living room.

Vinnie looked good in everything, jeans, sweatpants, suits, cargo pants, nothing. But today Vinnie was wearing shorts. Shorts that showed off his big muscular thighs and his tattoos. You couldn’t help but stare.

“Wow, thanks babe. You wanna try that compliment again?” Vinnie asked, looking up meet your eyes.

“No, I stand by that statement”.

Vinnie just shook his head and let out a laugh. He got up from the couch and made his way over to you.

“Well I think you are the most beautiful angel in the whole entire world”. Vinnie stated lovingly as he placed both hands on your cheeks.

“That is the most disgusting thing I think you’ve ever said”.

Vinnie pulled you closer into his chest, wrapped his arms around your shoulders and started obnoxiously swaying the two of your back and forth.

“You’re just so pretty, every time I see you my eyes hurt”.

“Okay babe you’re suffocating me”. You say, while wrapping your arms around his waist.

He continues his cheesy love sick praises about you. You’re glad he can’t see your face because your face is flushed. While you want to resent every word he says you can’t, you don’t know what to say instead you just enjoy the moment.

“There’s no one in the world that compares to your beauty”. Vinnie emphasis, still swaying you around in his arms

“Okay, okay enough”.

Vinnie stopped swaying, placed a kiss on your forehead making sure to emphasise the ‘mwah’ sound before finally releasing you from his grip. You wiped down your forehead. You saw out of the corner of your eye Hera walking near you, so you made your way over to her, picked her up and walked to the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” He asked

“Bed, I need to process whatever the fuck just happened”.

“It’s called love babe”. Vinnie laughed out

You turned around to face Vinnie, Hera still in your arms. “I never want to experience that ever again”. You playfully flip him off.

“I love you too”. He says while giving you a wink.

You turn back around and head towards Vinnie’s room, ‘processing’ what just happened. ‘Processing’, more like kicking your feet and twirling your hair.

[aliciavance4228]

Here Are A Few Things From Greek Mythology Which Not Only That Make Sense, But Are Actually Quite Briliant

1. The children of Ares (war, combat, bloodlust) and Aphrodite (beauty, sex) are: Eros (love), Anteros (requited love), Himeros (uncontrollable immediate desire), Pothos (longing desire), Harmonia (harmony), Phobos (fear), Deimos (panic/terror) and Adrestia (revenge); which are all of the emotions that can happen in a relationship between the foul-tempered abusive jock and the pretty girl. The ancient Greeks understood relationships.

2. Perseus is the son of Zeus. Why didn't Hera go after him or his mother? Because they're from Argos, and she's the patron of that city.

3. The story of Heracles states that Hera tricked Zeus into saying that the next king of Argos shall be the next male born. Of course, she manipulates events to happen so that Heracles's cousin Eurystheus is born first - thus making him the rightful king. But wait - Heracles has a twin. (Iphicles) So why go for his cousin, and not his fraternal twin to really rub salt in it with Zeus ("Hey, Alcmene's son is the next rightful king - Ain't no rule saying it had to be Heracles, haha!")? It makes a bit of sense actually - by making Eurystheus the next born child, she ensures that it's not Heracles. If she induced labour in Alcmene, there was still a chance Heracles could have been the first one born - and not Iphicles.

4. Why would the relatively amiable Hades kidnap Persephone to make her his bride? Well, according to some sources, he did that after asking Zeus for relationship advice. Given the fact that Zeus has raped and/or kidnapped plenty of women (and poor, minor Ganymede) just 'cause he felt like it, it isn't surprising that his advice would involve something like that.

5. Every source and most people tend to think Hades got the worst and Zeus the best of the deal when they divided up the world, but actually it's kinda balanced because all three of the brothers' domains come with some great perks. Zeus' is obvious, but consider this: Poseidon got the element that covers about two thirds of the planet, with earthquakes to boot, and for Greeks travelling by sea was something of a necessity, while Hades got all of the minerals and gemstones, and as many point out, the one biggest flaw of humanity is that the dead have always and will always outnumber the living.

6. Most stories of Andromeda mention that she was supposed to be eaten by a monster because her mother Cassiopeia blasphemed and made Poseidon mad by claiming Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids. All nice and good as the Nereids were supposed to be extremely beautiful, including Amphitrite, Poseidon's wife herself, but the thing comes in when you remember that the Nereids had a brother called Nerites, who was even more beautiful than them, and who was Poseidon's first serious relationship besides his wife. No wonder he got pissed off, she was badmouthing both his wife and his boyfriend!

7. There's some poetic justice in the fact that Narcissus, who saw himself as an unattainable treasure, got transformed into a flower — something that literally anybody can take and do with as they wish.

8. The anger the Olympians felt when they discovered Tantalus' crime makes even more sense when you remember that at least Hera, Poseidon, Hestia and Demeter (Hades wasn't present at the time) all know how it feels to be eaten by your own father.

For Hades' part, it certainly explains why he'd give Tantalus such a torturous punishment in the afterlife.

Made worse by Tantalus being the son of ZEUS.

9. Why are all the gods (save Hestia) prone to so much hypocrisy, violence, sexual assault, and abuse? Well, each god is typically associated with either an aspect of nature (such as the oceans, plants, weather, etc.) or emotions and biological reactions (bloodlust, love, sexuality). As such, the gods are less like people, and more akin to forces of nature; the gods, like nature, are indifferent to humanity, so sometimes they’ll harm people when they’re angry, reward people when they’re happy, etc.

10. Some of Typhon and Echidna's offspring, such as Cerberus, Ladon, the Caucasian Eagle and the Colchian Dragon were utilized by the Olympians in some way despite the fact that they were the offspring of their Nr. 1 Enemy. Sounds odd...but when you think about it, it's actually genius. It's an excellent way to prevent the monsters from running wild and destroying stuff, whilst simultaneously taking advantage of their destructive tendencies.

11. Why is Hades such a faithful husband (Leuke and Minthe were later Roman additions) when both of his brothers are pretty unfaithful? Well, Hades has a very important job that never seems to end. He’s in charge of the Underworld and since someone is always dying, Hades is always very busy which means that he didn’t have time nor interest in having affairs. Also many couples were likely to be together in death. Perhaps Hades saw through those couples what it means to be a good husband. It does help that Hades is also far more mature than his brothers.

12. Nyx is one of the few beings Zeus is too afraid to face, having let her son Hypnos get away with messing with him since he went to his mom. Why's he scared of her in particular and not other primordial deities like Gaea? Depending on the myth Nyx is the mother of many personified concepts, and that includes the Fates...aka the one force even gods like Zeus can't overcome. Imagine how outclassed Zeus'd be if he had to fight their mom!

13. Why is Hestia the least problematic deity out of all Olympians? Cronus ate five of his children, and she was in there the longest. Perhaps the reason Hestia is the sanest and nicest of the six Olympians is because she as the oldest was forced to mature faster in order to take care of her younger siblings while they were trapped in their father's stomach. Hades being the second oldest and first son similarly assumed this role as well. Then we have Demeter, then Poseidon, then Hera and Zeus. While not a perfect graph, you could graph 'reasonable behavior' as being tied to 'who spent the longest in his stomach'.

Credits: TV Tropes

[11queensupreme11]

Those comments about whether Percy should be the ✨️IT girl✨️ of the universe or the multiverse got to me

I started thinking about how beautiful she is and how she is accidentally causing a war between the gods, then I started thinking a little and remembered another situation where the beauty of a goddess/woman caused a war, That's right, I'm talking about the Trojan War

All that confusion (according to mythology) started because Eris threw an apple on the table and offered it to the most beautiful goddess, which caused a conflict between the goddesses who got up to get the apple (Athena, Hera and Aphrodite), not Would it be funny if we recreated this scene with the big three?

During act 4 the yanderes are watching the PJ world, they are watching the PJ gods interact at a visibly tense dance, it is very obvious that the three brothers are uncomfortable or irritated at having to interact with each other, during a small argument between the three of them the goddess Eris approaches

She praises the three for having such beautiful daughters and says she wants to offer this golden apple to the God who has the eldest daughter, she throws the apple towards the three and they all get up to catch it and that's when a huge fight begins over which semi -goddess is the most beautiful (let's change the age at which Thalia became a hunter and we will also change the age at which Bianca died so that they are both at the height of their teenage beauty to be able to "compete" with Percy)

The three decide to use the opinion of a quarter to decide who is the most beautiful, initially Zeus asks Hera to be the judge but she refuses (she totally does this as revenge because when she asked him to be the judge last time he refused), no goddess wants to judge this case so they choose a mortal woman to decide

PJ Hades knows that Bianca is not the most beautiful but it is a matter of paternal love to defend her honor, PJ Zeus is defending that Thalia is the most beautiful both as a political act and as a matter of narcissism but he knows that she is not is the most beautiful and PJ Poseidon is arguing that Percy is the most beautiful both because he loves her and because he KNOWS he is right (this will be the ONLY time that ror Poseidon agrees with PJ Poseidon)

In a similar way to the original tale, the three gods go to the mortal and each one makes a different proposal about what the woman will gain depending on which girl she chooses, meanwhile the three girls are next to their respective fathers, each wearing a beautiful dress and decorated with beautiful jewelry (Percy's dress has a marine theme and she is decorated with pearls, Bianca's dress has a gothic theme and her jewelry is all black, while Thalia's dress has a sea theme stormy night sky and her jewelry is more varied jewelry)

Percy (despite actually being the prettiest) loses the competition since Zeus's bribe was better, it all ends up in an even bigger mess than at the beginning because now Poseidon and Hades are particularly bitter about how Zeus is boasting about his victory and the enmity between the three increases

Unfortunately they are no longer at the height of Greece so waging a war to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the result of the contest like Hera and Athena did is impossible (ror Poseidon is almost having an aneurysm due to PJ Poseidon not starting a war or a massacre in the name of his daughter's honor)

How do the ror gods react to this? (more specifically the three big)

"Poseidon is arguing that Percy is the most beautiful both because he loves her and because he KNOWS he is right (this will be the ONLY time that ror Poseidon agrees with PJ Poseidon)"

WRONG!

there is nothing pjo!poseidon can do that would even satisfy ror!poseidon by 1%

he calls percy beautiful, and ror!poseidon would be like "THATS IT? only 'beautiful'? what, do you need a thesaurus or something, MY DAUGHTER IS MORE THAN JUST 'BEAUTIFUL', SHE'S--" *rants for the next few hours describing his daughter-wife's beauty*

he'd also judge the dress pjo!poseidon gives her 😭 like "is that the best dress you could give her? how DARE you insult by daughter by giving her such a sub-par dress! you're clearly trying to sabotage her!!! 😡🔱"

and omggggg when percy actually loses, someone would need to hold this man back. he's pissed at EVERYONE (except his daughter-wife ofc 🥺). he'd be pissed that pjo!poseidon doesn't even TRY to fight for his daughter's honor, pissed at pjo!zeus for cheating, and pissed at pjo!hades for thinking his daughter even had a chance (sorry bianca, but he hates you for existing 💔), pissed at the human for taking zeus' bribe, etc...

once hades gets a handle on what pjo!zeus' personality is like, he already knew it would end with thalia/zeus winning because he knows pjo!zeus WOULD cheat, so he's not that surprised. disappointed that he would cheat, but not surprised. he's a little miffed that the girls would be put in such a demeaning and embarrassing position tho, and if he were there, he would like to have a word with eris for causing this mess (again).

he'd definitely prefer it if percy won tho cuz he's in love with her AND knows that she's the prettiest of the bunch. sorry to thalia and bianca, but he doesn't know or care for them 😭

meanwhile zeus is cackling and laughing at his loser brothers 😂 he would definitely try to hide behind adamas when shit gets real, but adamas would happily kick him aside and let him face the consequences 😭

[hypnos333]

Changing Fate

Eros x Goddess reader

Synopsis: Fate had it easy for you as you were a goddess of fate until you got in the away with another’s fate

You were the daughter of Hera and Zeus, you were the third born after Ares and Hephaestus. Of course your parents adores you especially your mother. Being the goddess of Fate was easy then one, two, and three.

You were as beautiful as Aphrodite but you were no goddess of beauty.

“U-Uhm ___?” Eros called out holding your golden paged journal.

“Oh my Zeus! Thank you so much Eros” You said excitedly holding the book with delicacy. His wings flutter in shyness.

“Of course my cupid” He said back making you blush before hold the journal close to you.

“I should be calling you that Cupid” You flirted back making him blush again. He always haded feelings for you and since you lost your fate book you didn’t see that his fate now changed.

“So what should I call you? Oh! How about my love?” he asked excitedly making me agree instantly

“Whatever you like my cupid but right now I have to do my job” you said your goodbye. “Bye my love” Eros said back dreamily making you giggle as you turn back to your mansion.

You reread the journal to make sure everything was in shape in normal but it wasn’t….

See with the journal you can see everyone’s fate even gods or goddesses with Eros it holds a sparkling pink thread around his fate. It’s fading…. And not for the right reasons it should.

Eros fate is about love…

A king and queen has three daughters, all three of the girls are attractive but one of them is absolutely gorgeous- Phyche was her name. People would come all over to check out how beautiful she was. neglecting the proper worship of Aphrodite, instead prayed and made offerings to her. It was rumored that she was the second coming of Venus, or the daughter of Venus from an unseemly union between the goddess and a mortal. Venus is offended, and commissions Cupid to work her revenge. Cupid is sent to shoot Psyche with an arrow so that she may fall in love with something hideous. He instead scratches himself with his own dart, which makes any living thing fall in love with the first thing it sees. Consequently, he falls deeply in love with Psyche and disobeys his mother's order. Although her two humanly beautiful sisters have married, the idolized Psyche has yet to find love. Her father suspects that they have incurred the wrath of the gods, and consults the oracle of Apollo. The response is unsettling: the king is to expect not a human son-in-law, but rather a dragon-like creature The transported girl awakes to find herself at the edge of a cultivated grove. Exploring, she finds a marvelous house with golden columns, a carved ceiling of citrus wood and ivory, silver walls embossed with wild and domesticated animals, and jeweled mosaic floors. A disembodied voice tells her to make herself comfortable, and she is entertained at a feast that serves itself and by singing to an invisible lyre. Although fearful and without the proper experience, she allows herself to be guided to a bedroom where, in the darkness, a being she cannot see has sex with her. She gradually learns to look forward to his visits, though he always departs before sunrise and forbids her to look upon him. Soon, she becomes pregnant.

One night after Cupid falls asleep, Psyche carries out the plan her sisters devised: she brings out a dagger and a lamp she had hidden in the room, in order to see and kill the monster. But when the light instead reveals the most beautiful creature she has ever seen, she is so startled that she wounds herself on one of the arrows in Cupid's cast-aside quiver. Struck with a feverish passion, she spills hot oil from the lamp and wakes him. He flees, and though she tries to pursue, he flies away and leaves her on the bank of a river.

The rest of his fate was faded

You stood there shocked, this never happened before… this should’ve never happened. Why is it fading?

The ink was supposed to stay as it should so why is his fate changing?

You couldn’t say that you were glad his fate was changing, you were falling for the cupid after all but that did not mean he couldn’t be happy.

All she could do was watch the ink disappear like his fate was never there, and hope a new fate can appear for him. You slammed the book shut and rush to make sure Eros was safe.

When you saw him getting an apple from a tree you immediately rushed to him with a hug. Eros almost fell from the rush of someone.

“Woah My love, are you alright?” he asked gently not wanting to trigger you.

You put your hands on his cheek to make sure he has no injuries. “Of course, Are you okay?” you asked worriedly.

“Yeah? ___ we saw each other ten minutes ago, what’s wrong?” he asked making you hesitate on the question it’s self. It’s not like you can hide his dying fate from him but know something could be wrong is killing you.

“Y-Your fate changed and I couldn’t do anything about it and I thought something was wrong” You admitted making him nod.

“My fate with a human girl?” he asked making you instantly nod.

“Yeah a-and wait how did you know?” You asked making him chuckle awkwardly before clearing his throat to explain.

“W-Well I look in the journal and saw how my fate went and honestly I don’t want that to happen because ___ goddess of fate i’m in love with you” He confessed making you blush in shyness.

“W-What?” You whispered.

“I got approval from you family especially Ares and Zeus even though they’re scary as hell but I was willing to do it for you and I have been falling for you for decades but you were to busy in your work” He explained

“Well Eros of love and sex I will happily be yours” You said making him spin you around in joy.

“I’ll definitely make you the most happiest goddess in this earth my love” he stated making you hum as you leaned in as you both kissed passionately.

[call-sign-shark]

Hi Shark 💓 I saw your post with the three word sentences and I'd like to request 6. "Be gentle, please." with Tommy. If you're more comfortable with writing for a different character then you're obviously free to do so! 🥰

Hi Daisy! Here we go dear 🥰 Finger crossed, I hope you'll enjoy that Tommy x Reader blurb! Honestly, I really enjoyed writing it.

Words: 993

TW: Smut content but no actual pornographic descriptions, mentions of murder, ambiguous ending (the ending is up to you), reader is nicknamed Hera.

Fire spread under your skin as his strong and calloused hands ran down your naked back to grab your hips in a bruising grip. How did you end up here, laying on the giant fur carpet in front of a fire place with Birmingham’s most infamous gangster touching you? The question had been playing on repeat in your buzzing skull the moment he had laid his fingers on you. A feverish sigh escaped from your quivering lips when Tommy’s hips crashed against yours. The wet caress of his tongue left goosebumps in its trail each time you would feel it on the sensitive flesh of your bosom. It was like the dancing flames of the fireplace, whose hungry tongues of blaze licked the logs that were feeding them until all remained was ashes. You clenched your fist in his dark hair, squeezing your eyes shut and throwing your head back at ocean of pleasure that was drowning you each time his hips moved. As you made love in his living room, the melody of your sighs and flesh snapping filling the room and swirling up to the ceiling, you still tried to gather all your remaining strength to hang on the reason behind your meeting.

“Hera…” He moaned against your breasts, the vibrations of his hoarse voice echoing in your whole ribcage and shattering your bones in a sensual earthquake. Your toes curled as his pace, slow and gentle at first, quickened. Lost in a maze of feelings and lust, your hand left his hair and joined the other one on his broad and muscular back.

“Deeper.” You hissed through your teeth as your nails dug in his skin and pierced his flesh. Your voice, eternally collected, was now shaken by a light tremor you hated to hear. You sounded begging. You sounded desperate. You sounded weak. And only God knew how you despised weakness. Well, not only God but also Luca Changretta, to be true. When the godfather of the American branch of the Sicilian mafia took you under his protective wing, he called you Hera — queen of gods, and furious dishonored wife of a monster. Besides him and a few capo, no one knew where you came from and why Changretta had a soft spot for you. Yet, the story behind your relationship was tragic.

He saw you one dreary summer night, crying outside of the church in your magnificent white dress stained with little crimson droplets. From what he had understand, you had caught your future husband cheating the day of your wedding and he was so enraged you found out about his secret affairs that he had beaten you until your legs collapsed and until your body was black and blue. When Luca Changretta cupped your face and laid a protective kiss on your forehead, he made you a promise: no other men would hurt you again, for he would make the most terrifying and beautiful monster out of you. Luca dived in your eyes and smiled, and as he did Y/N vanished in the aid of this new fierce entity that was now inhabiting you.They said Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and how right they were.

“Fuck —“ Tommy swore, at the edge of climax. All of his muscles tensed under the coiling and maddening pleasure that was consuming him — but Thomas Shelby was as stubborn as you were, and he hated to show any sign of weakness even more than you. That was why he choked his moans against your mouth and let his tongue force its way between your juicy lips. You scratched his back in response, small beads of blood darkening your nails. His pace was now frantic and brutal, turning your love making into more a battle than anything else. Sex was a fight you were both fiercely decided to win. But if Tommy had the rage of winning, you had the disgust of losing.

“Let it go, little boy…” You whispered against his mouth, waving your hips like a dancing succubus willing to milk him from his life. Your victory became evident as you felt Tommy’s legs shaking. He sunk his teeth in your lower lip and growled like an animal as he gave in — blown away by the fiery blaze of his little death, the gangster felt tears dawning at the corner of his turquoise eyes when he came. The burning sensation was so unbearable at some point he thought he was in hell. But was it really hell if he liked the way it burned?

You smirked, enjoying the end of the war you’ve just won.

Tommy and you were now sharing a cigarette, both naked and sitting on the comfortable rug while watching the dying flames that were flickering in the hearth. But despite the doubt that had started to plague your cold mind, you mentally repeated the mantra you lived by for years: You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind… And your goal was to murder Tommy Shelby.

Why?

Because you were the most terrifying and skilled hitman of America, and someone had paid you to kill him.

And you were heartless.

You had not always been like this though… But the young eighteen years old crying princessa Changretta had almost raised had met the same demise as her savior: she was no longer alive. All remained was the still smoking ashes of a maimed heart and an empty body only animated by pure anger.

Tommy had barely stubbed out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray nearby when you pressed the cold blade of your knife against the fragile flesh of his throat. Yet, he did not seem surprised. Nor afraid. Quite the contrary, Thomas Shelby was tired. Just… Tired. He looked at you, his sky blue eyes staring into the void that constituted yours, and parted his lips to speak.

“Be gentle, please.”

That was all he said.

Somehow, he did not mind to die if the last embrace given to him was soft — even if it came from Death herself. You could kill him, it did not matter anymore, as long as you were as no one else since Grace had been with him: gentle.

You pulled him in your arms, hugging his exhausted frame in a final clasp, and tightened your grip around the knife.

Fine, you thought, I’ll be gentle then.

[heartsforvin]

hi, i love your imagines so much, i wanted to request an imagine about vinnie using cheesy pick-up lines on his gf

YOU’RE SO CHEESY

gif felt fitting LOL hope you enjoy ! <3 (literally got these pickup lines from google LMAO)

pairing; vinnie hacker x fem!reader

warnings; vinnie using the most cheesiest pickup lines, cussing, just pure fluff <33

summary; vinnie uses cheesy pickup lines on you and you can’t help but laugh

“if you say one more of those damn pick-up lines on me vinnie, i swear to god-“ you were cut off by your boyfriends hand pressed against your mouth.

he smiled at you, and you knew right then and there you had made the awful decision to say yes to him asking if you wanted to hang out.

well, not awful, but you also didn’t know he’d be “rizzing you up” as he put it.

part of you thought it was adorable, but the other part wondered how the fuck he managed to get you as his girlfriend.

the two of you were now sat in his room, vinnie was in his gaming chair while you were on his bed with hera in your lap.

when you arrived at his house, he opened the door to let you in and you thought everything would go as it usually did, that was until about an hour later he had come downstairs and said, “thank god you came over, i was feelin’ a bit off today, but the minute i saw you, you turned me on.”

you couldn’t help but burst into laughter as vinnie wrapped his arms around you from behind and kissed your head. “you’re such a dork.” you told him once he turned your body around to face him.

ever since you got to his place, that’s all he’s been doing. trying to get you to take him seriously while he says the most cheesiest things.

“y/n come on, i’m being serious!” vinnie whines while he stands up.

he stretches his arms, making his t-shirt lift up and the tattoo on his lower stomach appears. you can’t help but blush, you decide to use his words against him.

“you know what?” you say, making your way over to your boyfriend. you wrap your arms around him, standing on your tip toes, he’s looking at you with pure love. “now that i think about it, i’m glad i came over too. i was definitely feeling a bit off, but you’ve turned me on.”

now it’s his turn to turn into a fit of laughter, he kisses you for a moment and then pulls back, pulling you into a hug.

✧∘* ೃ ⋆｡˚.

you smile when you see vinnie come towards you. you were currently in his bathroom, getting ready to go out.

“what’s it like being the most beautiful person in this room?” he asks, wrapping his arms around you from behind and kissing your neck.

you smile at him from the mirror. “could ask you the same thing, pretty boy.” you tell him.

vinnie’s cheeks flush red at the compliment, it’s not the first time you’ve called him that, but it makes him flustered every time.

“hurry up princess, we’re gonna be late.” he tells you with a smack to your ass before walking away.

after hours of being out you were glad to be home. you went into the bathroom and took off your makeup and got unready for the night.

once you were done, you climbed into vinnie’s bed and snuggled with hera, waiting for vinnie to join you.

“damn babe did you get a sunburn?” vinnie asks as he walks into his room and looks at you, you shake your head. “oh so you’re always this hot?”

you throw the pillow at him, making him laugh as it hits him in the face and lands on the floor.

he grabs it and puts it back on the bed, walking to his closet.

“i was serious about those pickup lines, hacker!” you shout as he’s changing into something a bit more comfortable.

vinnie pokes his head out to look at you with a smile. “you know what you’d look good in?” he starts.

you laugh, rolling your eyes. “if you’re gonna say something like ‘my arms’ save it.”

vinnie huffs as he makes his way to his bed, climbing in and snuggling up to you. “damnit babe, you ruined it.”

you ruffle his hair and kiss his cheek. secretly loving all the cheesy but cute pickup lines he’s said today.

you decide to end the night by saying one yourself.

“i didn’t know what i wanted in a man until i met you.” you tell him with a big smile plastered on your face.

vinnie chuckles and kisses your cheek. the two of you lay down snuggled up next to each other, with hera in the middle.

“goodnight my gorgeous girl.”

“goodnight my pretty boy.”

hiiii i hope you liked this !! i really enjoyed writing it n honestly it was so cute <33 i had rewritten this 3574635 times cus i couldn’t figure out how i wanted it to go, but i like this version so i hope you did too !! thank you for the request !! <3333

[rainforestakiie]

Adamsapple Month Harvest

Apple Picking~

@adamsappleweek

okay, so i really want to be apart of this. i was hoping to have the first week written and ready to go! but i ran out of time! i am away the first week, so i have tried really hard! i may be a week behind everyone else! i might be able to get pumpkin out before tomorrow morning when i leave for my vacation! i hope you like it!

peacock adam is inspired by @inubaki

The first tender blush of life was an enchanting, bewildering moment. A strange, ethereal instant. Colours swirled like windswept petals, spiralling around the first human, coaxing them into existence with a soft, delicate pull. Nothing had form in the dawn of time. Shapes flickered in and out like distant dreams, hazy and formless. The first human wasn't quite human yet—more of a flicker of light, a whisper on the breeze, a faint shimmer like the flutter of a butterfly's wings or the soft rustling of peacock feathers, caught in an eternal dance.

"My child, you are awake," a voice as gentle as the wind, warm and soothing, called them to awareness. "My first human."

They flinched at the sudden brightness, their eyes wide and glassy, blinking against the light. The first human wriggled, an odd flutter of sensation tightening in their chest as they became aware of their new body, the unfamiliar weight of limbs. A pulse of warmth cradled them from below, something soft and alive beneath their skin, sending tiny tingles through their senses.

A tender laugh drifted from above, soft as a lullaby, calming the anxious human. "Open your eyes, my child. Open them and behold your new home."

Slowly, cautiously, their eyes fluttered open, the very act of blinking an alien concept. A soft whimper escaped their lips, startling them as they froze, wide-eyed and trembling, trying to make sense of themselves. Another gentle chuckle beckoned their gaze, and finally, the first human looked upon the most exquisite being they would ever know.

Before them stood a figure, radiant with a beauty that words could never hope to capture. She towered above them, a towering presence, ten times their size, her body graceful and slender. She wore a dress as pure and white as freshly fallen snow, flowing like water around her legs, pooling at her feet in a cascade of soft silk. Ribbons of white floated about her arms like whispers and draped across her shoulders was a magnificent cloak of feathers—blue, green, and gold, shimmering like the iridescent wings of a peacock, forming a cascade that fluttered like ethereal wings, though the human wouldn't have known that. She wore crown and was holding a golden sceptre.

Her skin glowed with a warm, sun-kissed hue, her long curls a cascade of deep chestnut and fiery red, framing her face like a crown. But it was her eyes—those golden, otherworldly eyes—that mesmerized the first human, filled with wisdom and warmth, glowing like the very essence of life itself.

"I am a woman," she said with a smile, her voice like honeyed sunlight. "And you, my dear one, are the first man. My first creation. I am your mother, and I will guide you, nurture you, and care for you, as long as you fulfil your purpose."

First man?

The words swirled in his mind, strange and unclear. He could only stare in wonder at the towering woman, giving a small, uncertain nod as she gazed down at him with endless love and patience.

"I am the Queen of the Gods," his mother spoke, her voice firm and regal, the air around her thick with authority. Her golden eyes lifted toward the swirling heavens above, the clouds parting as if bowing to her presence.

"My true name is Hera," she continued, her tone carrying the weight of eternity. "Goddess of marriage, of women, childbirth, and family. But to you, I am simply ‘Mother.’"

“Mother?”

The word hovered on the tip of his tongue, his lips twitching, struggling to form the sound. Hera’s knowing smile softened, and she shook her head gently, her golden eyes gleaming with patience.

“Do not fear, my child,” she murmured, her voice as soft as a breeze through leaves. “That will come in time.” She lifted her golden sceptre with grace, and as she did, a low rumble stirred from behind him. The ground beneath him pulsed, alive and breathing. He tried to move, but his limbs, still unfamiliar and clumsy, betrayed him. He tumbled forward, sprawling awkwardly upon the warm earth.

“This is your duty,” Hera said, her voice resonating with purpose. “The very reason for your birth.”

Frantically, the first human rolled onto his back, eyes wide with curiosity and confusion. Before him, a tiny stick began to emerge from the ground, rising and stretching toward the sky until it stood as tall as he did. He blinked at it, baffled, unable to comprehend its significance.

“This is your purpose,” Hera explained, her gaze never leaving the stick. “Right now, it is but a mere sapling—fragile, insignificant. But as you grow, as you learn, as you feel the stirrings of emotion, this tree will blossom with life. Apples will grow from its branches, and it will become a living testament to your journey.”

Her golden eyes softened as she knelt, bringing herself to his level, her presence both nurturing and commanding. “When the time comes, your duty will be to care for this tree. To protect it, nurture it, and love it with all your being. Listen closely, my child. This tree will give birth to the future of humanity. It is your most sacred responsibility.”

Hera’s voice grew more solemn, her gaze intense. “In time, there will be those who wish to disrupt the path laid by the gods. They will come, seeking to steal an apple from this tree. You must never allow it. Not a single apple may be plucked.”

The first human, bewildered, turned his gaze back to Hera. His mouth opened and closed, desperate to speak, but no words came. His thoughts swirled like the clouds above, too vast and too mysterious for him to grasp. Hera’s expression was filled with something deep—something the first human could not yet understand.

“You will, in time,” she assured him gently. “With patience, understanding will come. But for now, remain close to your tree. Pour your heart and soul into it. This tree, this garden, will be your life, my child. But do not fear, for I will always be with you. Whenever you call for me, I shall appear.”

Her words were spoken with the tender authority of a mother. She smiled, reaching out to him, her fingers brushing through his phantom-like hair. At her touch, the strands transformed, becoming thick and rich, coloured with deep shades of brown and red, like hers. She hummed softly, running her hand through his hair as his new form began to take shape—his skin warm and sun-kissed, his eyes shimmering with the same golden glow that marked him as her own.

“From this moment forward, your name will be Adam,” Hera said, her voice filled with pride. “The first human, born of the Queen of the Gods, Hera.”

~#~

Adam sat quietly, cross-legged on the warm, living earth beneath him, staring at the slender stick before him. His brow furrowed; lips slightly parted in quiet confusion. The stick, so small and fragile, did not seem worthy of the love and protection Hera had told him to give. What could he possibly do for it? He didn’t understand its purpose—much like he didn’t fully understand his own. He looked around the vast garden, golden sunlight dappling the trees, the air sweet and warm, but his gaze always came back to the stick. It stood there, rooted, silent, waiting.

For what?

After a long time, Adam stirred. His fingers twitched in the soil, feeling the pulse of life beneath his fingertips, the breath of the land surrounding him. A flicker of determination sparked within him. He pushed himself up, his legs trembling with uncertainty as he tried to use his feet. But the moment he shifted his weight, he toppled back, landing on his backside with a soft thud. A small, startled laugh escaped him—not from his mouth, but in the way his body shook with surprise.

As if in response to his courage, the stick began to stretch. Slowly, it rose higher than before, its delicate form straightening, thin tendrils of roots starting to twist into the earth. Adam’s breath caught in his chest, his heart beating a little faster as he watched it grow, as though the stick was waiting for him to act. Amazement filled him, his chest tight with wonder, and in that very moment, the tree pulsed. It shuddered with life, thickening, solidifying, its branches extending upward in slow, graceful arcs.

Adam's eyes widened, filled with childlike awe. He took another breath and tried once more, pushing himself to stand. This time, his feet steadied beneath him, though his knees wobbled. The tree responded immediately, growing taller, more magnificent. Each movement, each discovery Adam made about himself, seemed to breathe life into the tree.

Encouraged, Adam took a few shaky steps forward, marvelling at his newfound balance, but in his clumsiness, he tripped over a root. He tumbled to the ground, pain shooting up his leg. The moment his skin grazed the earth, the tree surged with growth, the trunk thickening even more, its roots digging deeper into the soil.

Adam sat there for a moment, rubbing his ankle, staring at the ever-growing tree. The connection between them was undeniable, though still mysterious. He didn’t understand fully, but it filled him with warmth. A warmth that soon turned into joy when Hera appeared again, stepping lightly into the garden like a breeze.

Her golden eyes sparkled with approval as she gazed at the tree, now towering over both, its branches wide and full of promise.

“I am pleased with your growth, my child,” Hera said, her voice soft but filled with pride. “The tree flourishes because of you, and it is already more magnificent than I expected.”

Adam blinked up at her, still unable to speak, though his heart longed to communicate. Hera, as if sensing his confusion, knelt beside him, her presence calming.

“This tree is bound to you,” she explained, her fingers brushing the roots that had tangled themselves lovingly around Adam’s feet. “It will grow as you grow. Its strength, its beauty—everything about it will reflect what you learn, what you feel. It is a mirror of your soul.”

She stood, gesturing to the golden gates that shimmered far in the distance, their tops disappearing into the clouds.

“This land was created for you,” Hera continued. “You may explore anywhere within those gates, but you must never stray beyond them. The tree is your heart, and you must always be near it.”

Adam nodded, though his mind still swirled with questions. Hera smiled gently, a motherly pride shining in her eyes. She bent down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. The warmth of her touch spread through him, and for the first time, Adam felt something new—a lightness, a joy blooming in his chest.

Without thinking, his lips curled into a smile. Hera chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling as she noticed the first apple, small but perfect, beginning to form on one of the branches above.

“The apple of joy,” she mused, brushing her fingers along the growing fruit. “Well done, my child. I am proud of you.”

Adam’s smile faltered, confusion flickering in his eyes. Proud? The word felt strange, unfamiliar. But Hera simply touched his cheek, her expression kind. “In time, you will understand.”

Not long after, the gods began to visit Adam, each arrival more magnificent than the last. The first to descend from the heavens was Zeus, who appeared in a blaze of lightning and a rolling wave of thunder that seemed to shake the very sky. His presence was immense commanding, like the rumble of a distant storm. The air around him crackled with energy, as if the very clouds bowed to his will. He stood tall, radiating power, his eyes the colour of a tempest, sharp and piercing as they gazed down at Adam.

"I am Zeus," he declared, his voice deep and booming, echoing through the garden like thunder over the hills. "King of the Gods. Ruler of the skies and master of thunder. I am power. I am authority."

His words hung in the air, heavy and electric. Adam stood still, wide-eyed, staring up at this god whose very presence seemed to shake the fabric of the world. Zeus, with all his might, spoke of justice and strength, his teachings woven into the very atmosphere, as if the sky itself listened in reverence. Each word was like the beat of a drum, filled with promise and unyielding force, painting a picture of order and dominion. The air around Adam tingled with something new, something that pulsed deep within him.

As Zeus's voice thundered on, something extraordinary began to happen. The tree that stood beside Adam—the one he had nurtured with his own quiet care—responded. Apples began to blossom from its branches, small and golden, glowing like tiny suns. Each one grew as Zeus spoke, as if the tree itself drank in the knowledge and wisdom of the god’s teachings. Power. Authority. Justice. With every new concept Zeus shared, a fresh apple bloomed, rich and ripe, the tree swelling with life.

Yet, as the apples multiplied, a strange feeling stirred in Adam’s chest—something uncertain, something heavy. His heart fluttered with unease, like the whisper of a breeze before a storm. Though Zeus’s words were filled with grandeur and might, something in them felt... distant, cold, as if they lacked the warmth of the earth, the softness of the garden he had come to know. It was as though the power Zeus spoke of was too vast, too untouchable, leaving Adam with a sense of disquiet that he could not yet name.

It wasn’t long before Hera returned, her golden eyes narrowing in displeasure when she found Zeus in her garden, his voice rumbling through the trees like a storm. Adam was cowering beneath a branch, his heart pounding in his chest.

Hera’s feathers ruffled as she stepped into the clearing, her voice sharp. “Zeus! This is my human. This garden belongs to me. You have no right to be here.”

Zeus, unconcerned, merely smirked, his laughter echoing through the air. “Oh, Hera. Always so protective. Perhaps I’ll create my own humans, but for now, I’m curious to see what your little pet project will become.”

Hera bristled; her anger barely contained. “If Adam becomes something great, you’ll only try to claim him as your own. But he is mine, and you have no place here.”

Zeus chuckled, teasing her. “Don’t stress yourself, my wife, or you’ll wrinkle that lovely brow of yours.”

With a wink, he disappeared in a crack of lightning, leaving Hera fuming, her wings twitching with irritation.

But her mood softened when she turned to Adam, who looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes and spoke his first word.

“Mother.”

Hera’s breath caught, her eyes glistening with tenderness as she smiled down at him.

“Yes, my child?” she whispered, her heart swelling with pride and love.

Another apple began to grow above them.

~#~

After Zeus had come and gone in his stormy grandeur, the other gods and goddesses, curious and eager, began to follow suit. One by one, they entered the sacred garden, each bearing gifts of knowledge and wonder, their divine presence casting a magical glow upon the world Adam was learning to call home. They approached the first human with gentle fascination, intrigued by the sight of new apples sprouting on the tree with each revelation they shared. Every lesson was a seed, and every seed bore fruit.

Poseidon, God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, was next. He strode toward Adam with the commanding presence of a rolling tide. His eyes glistened like the deepest oceans as he lifted his hand, summoning nature’s unpredictable power. The quiet garden that had once been bare now burst into life. Lush grass unfurled beneath Adam’s feet, trees blossomed in an instant, and vibrant flowers bloomed in hues Adam could hardly name. Streams of water wove their way through the garden, their currents both gentle and wild, a reminder of Poseidon's dual nature. Adam stood in awe, mesmerized the god had conjured life from nothing. Poseidon smiled and spoke of nature's fierce and delicate balance.

"Respect the earth," he said, his voice like the murmur of the waves. "And it will respect you in return."

Soon after, the goddess Demeter stepped into the garden, her every footfall leaving a trail of ripe fruits and vegetables in her wake. Her presence felt like the warmth of a harvest sun, nurturing and kind. She bent down, cupping her hand over the fresh produce that had sprung from the earth.

"Take what you need, my child," she said softly, offering Adam a plump fruit. "But remember, when you take from the soil, plant three seeds in return. Give as much as you receive, for this is the way of life."

Adam listened, her wisdom sinking deep into his heart as he watched the fruits grow larger and more bountiful on his tree.

Next came Athena, goddess of wisdom, warfare, and crafts, her eyes gleaming with the sharp light of intelligence. She knelt beside Adam and began to tell him stories of ancient battles and cunning strategies. She taught him the art of creation, showing him how to meld his surroundings into tools.

"With wisdom and patience, you can shape your world," she said, her voice calm and steady.

Adam found himself captivated by her words, eager to learn the skills she offered, and with each new craft, a bright apple blossomed on the tree, glowing with the light of knowledge.

Of all the visitors, Adam’s heart warmed most to Apollo, the god of the sun, music, and healing. When Apollo entered the garden, the entire world seemed to shine brighter, the sun blooming high in the sky as if it had been born from his very soul. A radiant light bathed the garden, casting warmth over Adam’s skin and filling him with a sense of peace.

"This sun is for you, to keep your garden warm and your heart light," Apollo said, his voice like the soft strum of a lyre.

With him, he brought music—the sweetest gift of all. He taught Adam how to build instruments, crafting a simple guitar from the wood of the Tree of Life. They would sit for hours beneath the branches, Adam learning how to play, his fingers dancing across the strings while Apollo sang beside him. Each note they played seemed to bring more life to the garden, and more apples to the tree.

But where there was sun, there was also moon. Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the wild, soon followed her twin brother into the garden, her arrival as quiet as moonlight but filled with purpose. The moment she stepped into the garden, a silver glow spread across the land, and a luminous moon took its place beside Apollo’s sun. Her presence brought the wilderness with it—deer, wolves, and all manner of wild creatures slipped through the shadows to join the peaceful garden.

"The wild has its place here, too," she said, her eyes fierce but protective.

She taught Adam about the beauty and freedom of the untamed world, and how nature could flourish in chaos as well as in calm.

Then came Ares, God of war. His entrance was not soft like the others but bold, the air around him crackling with energy. He spoke to Adam of conflict, aggression, and the chaos of battle, his words laced with intensity. Adam, however, felt uneasy under his fierce gaze, unsure how to reconcile the violence Ares spoke of with the peace of his garden. But soon after, Hephaestus, God of blacksmiths and fire, arrived to offer balance. He showed Adam how to channel those darker emotions into creation, shaping metal and flame into something beautiful and useful.

"There is power in transformation," Hephaestus explained, his hands forging tools from raw materials, each one gleaming with purpose.

Hermes, the god of messengers, travellers, and trickery, arrived with a swiftness that left Adam blinking in surprise. Hermes was quick and clever, his words flowing like a river as he taught Adam the arts of communication, how to speak and write, how to understand the language of the world. With every lesson, Adam's own speech grew clearer, his thoughts more organized, and apples of intellect sprouted from the branches above.

Hestia, the gentle goddess of the hearth and home, came quietly into the garden, her presence a warm and comforting embrace. She guided Adam in the art of creating a home, ensuring that the place he rested was not just a shelter, but a space filled with peace, stability, and warmth. She smiled at him, her eyes glowing like embers, as she showed him how to build a fire, how to keep the hearth burning, always.

The final visitor was Dionysus, God of wine, festivity, and the wild joy of life. His energy was exuberant, his laughter contagious as he tried to teach Adam the art of celebration. He offered Adam a cup of wine, and for the first time, Adam felt the giddiness of intoxication. But before the festivities could get out of hand, Hera appeared, her expression stern as she found Adam giggling and stumbling.

"No more wine for you," she declared, her voice soft but firm. "You are to remain clear-headed, my child."

Adam, sheepish but amused, smiled up at her, nodding in agreement.

Through it all, the tree continued to grow, fed by the wisdom and emotions Adam absorbed from the gods and goddesses. It stood taller and prouder, its branches heavy with apples of every hue, each one a testament to Adam’s journey of learning. As Hera watched over him, her eyes softened with affection. Though Adam had yet to fully understand his purpose, the garden was already flourishing, and with each new step he took, his heart and the tree both grew stronger.

Adam's days stretched into a gentle, golden haze, filled with warmth and quiet contentment. The hours drifted by as he lay beneath his ever-growing tree, the soft grass cradling his body. His golden eyes shimmered in the dappled light, watching as the tree—once a mere stick—had now blossomed into a towering presence. Its branches extended in every direction like wooden arms, reaching toward the heavens. Apples of every hue dangled from those branches, each pulsing softly with life, glowing with the emotions they represented. Adam often found himself lost in thought, wondering how these apples, brimming with such power, would one day birth something greater. Yet, his heart brimmed with trust. Hera, his beloved mother, had told him they were important, and Adam believed in her words with all his being. He adored her, cherished her guidance, and found peace in knowing she always watched over him.

But despite the serene beauty of his garden, it could be terribly lonely. The gentle hum of nature that surrounded him—while comforting—wasn't enough to fill the quiet when the gods and goddesses weren’t visiting. Adam savored their company, especially Apollo’s, who often lingered for hours, filling the air with music and warmth until someone from the clouds had to come fetch him. But once they left, an empty ache settled in Adam’s chest, a hollow space that nothing seemed to fill.

With a soft sigh and a slight pout, Adam rolled onto his side, his fingers absently playing with the grass, twirling the blades between his fingers. The small daisies giggled as he touched them, their soft petals tickling his skin, but his mind was elsewhere. He barely noticed when the air around him shifted, becoming warmer, the breeze carrying with it a sweet, intoxicating scent of blossoms.

"So, you’re the human everyone has been speaking of," a voice cooed from behind him, silky and warm.

Startled, Adam jerked upright, scrambling onto his knees to turn and face the new presence in his garden. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell upon the goddess who leaned gracefully against his tree. She was breathtaking, with long, cascading curls of golden hair and eyes as blue and deep as the ocean. Her form was delicate but radiant, her waist slim and her chest perfectly curved. She smiled at him, fingers lazily tapping the bark of the tree as one brow arched playfully.

"Are you not going to greet me?" she teased, her voice like a melody, as though woven from honey and light.

Adam blinked, his mind scrambling to catch up.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice soft with wonder.

The goddess laughed, a sweet, lilting sound that danced on the breeze. "Oh, I see. You’ve grown bold, haven’t you?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry,” Adam stammered, his face flushing deeply with embarrassment. He bowed his head quickly, his gaze falling away from her radiant beauty.

With a soft smile, the goddess pushed herself off the tree and walked toward him, her movements graceful and fluid. She knelt before him, her long, delicate fingers reaching out to gently lift his chin, guiding his gaze back to hers.

"My name is Aphrodite," she whispered, her voice as smooth as silk. "The goddess of love, beauty, and desire."

“Love?” Adam repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion as the unfamiliar word left his lips. But at the same time, his face burned with a new, unfamiliar warmth under her gaze.

Aphrodite’s soft giggle sent shivers down Adam’s spine. Her eyes flicked upwards, catching the sight of a brilliant pink apple forming on one of the branches above.

“My apple, I presume?” she mused, her voice dripping with amusement.

Adam followed her gaze, watching in awe as the rosy fruit bloomed before his eyes, its color vibrant and intoxicating. His heart fluttered with a strange, new feeling—shyness mixed with curiosity. Relief flooded him as Aphrodite released his chin and stood up, but the sensation in his stomach—an odd, coiling warmth—lingered. He felt small, bashful under her enchanting gaze, and she clearly revelled in his unease.

Humming softly, Aphrodite let her fingertips trail along the bark of the tree, her touch almost reverent as she moved closer to the freshly grown apple. Her hand reached up toward the pink fruit, brushing the air just beneath it, when Adam’s breath caught in his throat.

“P-Please don’t touch my apples!” he blurted out, clambering clumsily to his feet. “Mother told me no one is allowed to pick them!”

Aphrodite turned to him, her lips curling into a smile that was both playful and mysterious, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Do not fear, Addie," she purred, her tone teasing as the nickname rolled off her tongue. "I have no intention of picking the apple."

Adam's face flared crimson at the sound of the nickname, his heart thudding in his chest. He shifted awkwardly on his feet, his body fidgeting under her gaze. Aphrodite, clearly delighted by his reaction, let out a soft, spine-tingling hum, her attention drifting back to the tree. She traced her fingers along the bark, her touch light and careful, as if she were caressing something alive.

And in a way, she was. The tree pulsed beneath her hand, its bark warm and almost breathing, alive with the magic and emotions it held. Adam stood frozen, unsure of what to do, his eyes wide and his heart racing as Aphrodite’s presence filled the air around him. She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze locking with his, and in that moment, Adam felt something stir deep within him—something entirely new.

Whatever it was, it left him breathless.

Aphrodite’s gaze lingered on Adam as she playfully tilted her head, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “Tell me, Addie,” she purred, her voice soft as velvet, “do you think I’m the most beautiful goddess? Even more beautiful than Hera?”

Adam blinked, taken aback by her question. His thoughts immediately drifted to Hera, his mother. He didn’t answer, not because he didn’t want to, but because, in his heart, no one could ever be more beautiful than her. She was his everything—his guide, his creator, his protector. Aphrodite, sensing his hesitation, let out a dramatic sigh and pouted.

“Oh, pooh!” she whimpered, crossing her arms over her chest. “I really thought my charm had won you over.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his golden eyes wide with genuine confusion. Adam cocked his head, puzzled by her words.

Aphrodite shrugged, her delicate shoulders rising as she leaned back against the tree. “My power, darling.”

“Is born from romance, passion, and physical attraction. I thought you'd be entranced by me—how could you not be?” She huffed like a child denied a toy, her lower lip jutting out ever so slightly.

“I was so sure you'd choose me over Hera. But no matter,” she added with a flick of her hair, “I’ll prove to you that motherly love is nothing compared to the love of a soulmate.”

Adam's brows furrowed as he stared at her, utterly bewildered. Her words danced around him like a strange puzzle, none of the pieces fitting together.

"What are you talking about?" he murmured, his innocence radiating from him like sunlight.

Aphrodite’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement. She straightened up, finally looking at him with a more serious expression.

“Tell me, Adam,” she began again, her voice a touch softer, “Do you love Hera?”

Without hesitation, Adam blinked and answered, “Of course I do. She’s, my mother.”

Aphrodite let out a snort, her lips curling into a smug smile. “Oh, Addie," she teased, "one day, you’ll abandon everything. Even Hera. For someone else.”

Adam’s frown deepened, his expression growing serious. “I would never betray my mother,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering. The very idea felt foreign, impossible.

Aphrodite laughed, a rich, melodic sound that filled the garden.

“Ah, love makes people do crazy things, my dear,” she said, a knowing look flashing in her eyes. “Trust me, even the strongest ties can be broken by love.”

Adam remained silent, unsure of what to say. The concept of love that Aphrodite spoke of felt strange, distant, like something just out of his reach. He could feel it tugging at him, but it made no sense.

Sensing his confusion, Aphrodite’s expression softened. “Love…”

“Is like a rose. Beautiful, vibrant, full of life… but also dangerous. Its thorns can hurt you.” As she spoke, vivid red roses began to bloom along her gown, their petals velvety and radiant in the warm light.

Adam’s eyes were immediately drawn to the roses. Mesmerized, he reached out, his fingers gently brushing over the delicate petals. But as his hand moved lower, it caught on a thorn, and with a sharp sting, he pulled back, gasping softly as a drop of blood welled on his fingertip. His eyebrows knitted together as he stared at the crimson bead forming on his skin.

Without hesitation, Aphrodite stepped closer, her soft fingers wrapping around his hand. She looked down at the tiny wound, her gaze tender, and gently cupped his hand in hers. "Does love hurt like this?" Adam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling. Aphrodite smiled, the kind of smile that held the weight of centuries. “The greatest love stories always come with pain and tears.”

“But why?” Adam asked, his golden eyes wide and filled with a mixture of curiosity and sadness.

Aphrodite grinned at him, her blue eyes sparkling with mystery.

“Because, my dear Addie, love is a force more powerful than you can imagine.” She brushed her fingers against his cheek, her touch light and almost comforting. "Can you keep a secret?"

Adam’s eyes grew wide with fascination. “I can!” he blurted out eagerly, only to pause and frown. “But… I don’t know what a secret is.”

Aphrodite giggled, the sound like the tinkling of wind chimes. “A secret,” she explained, “is something you keep just between the two of us. No one else can know—not even Hera.”

Adam hesitated, his heart fluttering. His loyalty to Hera was unshakable, and yet… there was something captivating about Aphrodite’s words. Her fingers stroked his cheek gently, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Please, keep my secret, Addie?” she purred.

His face flushed red, the warmth creeping up his neck as he swallowed hard. After a moment of struggle, he gave in, nodding slowly.

“O-Okay. I promise.”

Aphrodite’s smile widened in satisfaction. “Good boy. I’m making something. Something beautiful and wonderful.”

Adam's curiosity flared, his heart pounding with the excitement of something new. “What are you making?” he asked, his voice full of wonder.

Aphrodite leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, “The first angel.”

Adam’s eyes grew even wider, his breath catching in his throat. A soft silence fell between them, and after a moment, he whispered back, “What’s an angel?”

Aphrodite giggled again, her laughter sending a shiver down Adam’s spine. She patted his cheek playfully, her fingers lingering for just a moment.

“You’ll learn in time, Addie,” she teased. “You’ll see.”

Before he could ask anything more, Aphrodite winked at him, and as she began to step back, her form dissolved into a shower of rose petals that fluttered into the air. The petals swirled around him, transforming into delicate red butterflies that filled the garden, flitting among the branches of his tree.

Adam stood in awe, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the last of the butterflies disappear into the sky. He was amazed, breathless at the beauty of the display. And though Aphrodite was gone, her words lingered in his mind—her secret resting like a fragile bloom inside him, waiting to unfold.

~#~

One warm day, as it always was warm in the garden, Hera arrived to visit Adam. The moment he saw her, his heart swelled with happiness. It had been so long since anyone had come to see him, and his days had grown lonely in the quiet, though the vibrant garden never ceased to bloom around him. Yet today, something was different. The way Hera huffed and puffed, her eyes narrowed in frustration as she grumbled softly to herself, made Adam pause in confusion. He blinked up at her, tilting his head curiously before slowly approaching.

"Mother?" he called gently, his voice soft and filled with concern. "What’s wrong?"

Hera finally looked down at him, her eyes softening as she realized the worry in her precious human's gaze. "Oh, Adam," she sighed, "I didn’t mean to worry you." Her voice, though still regal, was tinged with weariness.

Adam’s wide smile returned, though his golden eyes searched her face with care. "Why are you upset, Mother?"

“It’s my husband, Zeus,” she muttered, her voice heavy with irritation. Hera pressed her fingers to her temple, massaging away an invisible ache. “He’s being foolish once again, trying to outdo me with his own human project. As if that will make up for his nonsense.”

Adam didn’t fully understand what she meant, but he could tell that whatever Zeus had done was the source of her vexation. His heart ached to see her troubled, so he decided to act. With a bright smile, he dashed toward the garden’s edge, gathering the most beautiful bouquet of flowers he had tended. Their petals glistened with dew, each bloom vibrant and full of life. With care, he presented the bouquet to Hera, holding it up as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"These are for you, Mother," Adam said, his voice soft and hopeful. "I hope they make you feel better."

Hera’s face softened at the sight of the flowers, and a smile slowly spread across her lips. She reached down and took the bouquet, inhaling the delicate fragrance.

"Oh, Adam," she said fondly, her eyes brightening as her irritation began to melt away. “These are beautiful. You always know how to cheer me up.”

Her gaze travelled upwards to the Tree of Life, which now stood tall and magnificent, its branches reaching toward the heavens, heavy with thousands of glimmering apples. The sight of it made Hera's chest swell with pride.

"Look at your tree," she mused, her voice filled with admiration. "It’s more vibrant than ever, so full of life. You’ve done so well, Adam. I expected no less from my precious human."

Adam beamed, his heart racing with joy at her words. Nothing made him happier than making Hera proud. Her praise was the sunlight that nourished his soul, just as the tree thrived beneath the warm rays of the sun.

Hera stayed with him for a long while after that, her presence a comfort Adam had missed deeply. They spoke about the garden, the tree, and everything he had learned from the other gods, but all too soon, the time for her to leave drew near. Adam could feel it, a hollowing sadness creeping into his heart. He had been so happy in her company, but now that she was preparing to leave, the loneliness returned, wrapping itself around him like a cold shadow.

Just as Hera turned to go, she noticed the change in him—the way his bright expression dimmed, how his shoulders hunched slightly as if trying to hide his sadness. She turned back, gently taking his hand and drawing him close, her golden eyes searching his face.

"Adam," she said softly, lifting his chin so he would meet her gaze. "Why are you so blue, my dear? Tell me, what troubles you?"

Adam hesitated, but then he took a deep breath, trusting his mother with every part of his heart.

"I’m lonely," he admitted quietly, his voice trembling. "I don’t like it when you leave. The garden is so quiet when you’re not here, and it’s starting to… hurt."

As Hera's golden eyes sparkled with newfound light, her wings unfolded with a graceful sweep, feathers shimmering like the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon. From the luminous plume, peacocks began to emerge, one after another, their feathers rich with opalescent blues, greens, and golds, each bird more breathtaking than the last. Their elegant tails trailed behind them like waterfalls of light, the garden now alive with the soft rustling of feathers and the occasional musical trill of their calls.

Adam gasped, his heart fluttering with awe and delight as the peacocks strutted around him, their beauty mesmerizing. The air felt warmer, more alive, and the garden seemed to breathe with new energy as the creatures made it their home. He watched, wide-eyed, as they wandered between the flowers, under the shade of the great tree, their feathers gleaming like precious gems scattered across the earth.

Hera, regal and motherly, watched Adam's wonder with a smile full of affection. She knelt beside him; her hand gentle on his shoulder. "These peacocks, my dear Adam, will be your companions. No longer will you walk alone in this garden. They will keep you company, shower you with affection, and rely on you as you will rely on them."

Adam's golden eyes shimmered as he gazed up at Hera. The ache of loneliness that had gnawed at him for so long began to melt away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude.

"Thank you, Mother," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.

Hera brushed a lock of his hair from his face, her fingers warm and comforting.

“The tree, of course, will always be your greatest duty, for it is tied to the very core of your being. But these peacocks,” she gestured to the birds now fanning their tails in the sunlight, “they will be your second family. They will love you as deeply as you care for them. But remember, you must look after them, nurture them. They will look to you for guidance and protection, as you look to me.”

A smile broke across Adam’s face, radiant and innocent. “I promise, I will take care of them, just as you take care of me,” he said earnestly, his heart full of devotion. The bond he shared with Hera felt stronger than ever, as though the garden itself now pulsed with the rhythm of their shared love.

Hera’s gaze softened, and with tender grace, she bent down and pressed a kiss to Adam’s forehead. Her lips were cool and comforting, like the kiss of a soft breeze on a summer day.

“I adore you, my precious Adam,” she murmured, her voice carrying the depth of the heavens themselves.

Adam’s heart swelled with emotion, and without hesitation, he looked up at her with wide, adoring eyes.

“I love you too, Mother,” he said, his words simple yet filled with a pure, untainted love that only a child could give.

For a moment, Hera’s golden eyes flickered with something like surprise. Her gaze drifted upwards, catching sight of a brilliant pink apple nestled among the branches of the great tree—the apple of love, Aphrodite’s gift to the garden. Hera’s lips curved into a wistful smile, a mixture of pride and something more. She sighed softly, but her smile never wavered.

Looking back at Adam, she caressed his cheek, her touch light as a feather. “Love is a powerful thing, Adam. You will learn this in time,” she whispered. Her eyes, filled with both wisdom and a mother’s tenderness, held his gaze for a lingering moment.

The garden, now alive with the soft calls of the peacocks and the gentle rustle of leaves, seemed to hold its breath as Hera rose to her feet. She stood tall and radiant, her peacock feathers shimmering in the sunlight, the embodiment of regal beauty. Her time with Adam was ending, yet she hesitated, sensing the weight of his emotions.

As she prepared to leave, she noticed the shift in Adam—the way his joy began to fade, his posture becoming small and withdrawn, like a flower wilting without sunlight. Her heart ached at the sight, and she turned back, drawing him close to her once more. “Adam, my sweet child,” she said softly, her voice full of concern. “What is troubling you?”

Adam’s eyes, filled with a mix of sadness and longing, met hers. “I don’t like it when you leave, Mother. I feel so lonely when you’re gone. The garden feels empty without you. It’s starting to... hurt.”

Hera was silent for a moment, her heart heavy with his words. She could see the depth of his loneliness, the pain in his golden eyes. Gently, she cupped his face in her hands, her touch filled with both comfort and understanding.

“Oh, my dear Adam,” she murmured, her golden eyes softening with compassion. “You will never be alone. Not anymore.”

With a radiant smile, she raised her arms once more, and from her magnificent wings of peacock feathers came birds—more peacocks, brilliant in their blue and green splendor. They soared into the sky, their feathers glinting in the sunlight, before descending gracefully to the garden floor. Thousands of them filled the space, their presence vibrant and alive.

Adam gasped, his heart racing with excitement and joy as the birds flocked around him, their soft coos filling the air. His garden, once quiet and still, was now alive with the flutter of wings and the warmth of companionship.

“They will be your family now, Adam,” Hera said, her voice soothing. “They will love you and care for you as you will for them. They will be your constant companions, so you will never feel lonely again.”

Tears of gratitude welled in Adam’s eyes, and he beamed up at Hera, his heart overflowing with love.

“Thank you, Mother,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I will take care of them, I promise.”

Hera smiled, her eyes glowing with pride and affection. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead once more, her touch soft and full of love. “I know you will, my precious child.”

As she prepared to leave once more, her wings shimmering in the sunlight, Hera glanced back at Adam, her heart full of love for the human she had created.

“Remember, Adam,” she said softly, “I will always be with you, no matter where I am. You are never truly alone.”

Adam nodded, his heart swelling with warmth as he watched her disappear into the soft light of the garden. The peacocks fluttered around him, their vibrant feathers glistening in the sunlight, and for the first time in a long while, Adam felt at peace.

He was no longer alone, and the garden—his home—was more alive than ever before.

~#~

Centuries slipped by like whispers on the wind. Though the world had largely forgotten him, Hera remained a steadfast visitor, weaving in and out of his days. Yet, Adam found himself mostly enveloped in a gentle solitude that no longer felt heavy upon his heart. His family of peacocks brought vibrant chaos to his life, each bird a shimmering personality, each one a delightful puzzle that kept him joyously occupied. He marvelled at the way their feathers caught the light, dancing in iridescent hues.

Lately, he had sensed a change in the skies, a fluttering mystery just beyond his reach. While he couldn't quite grasp its significance, he’d caught snatches of hushed conversations during Hera's visits. Other deities drifted in and out of his life like fleeting shadows, but Zeus remained notably absent. Adam surmised that Hera’s fiery spirit had sent him packing, while the mighty god busied himself with some enigmatic human endeavour, whatever that might entail.

For the past hundred years or so, Adam had spotted ethereal figures flitting through the azure expanse above, their wings glinting like jewels in the sunlight. None dared enter his enchanted garden, for Hera had made it clear that such incursions were forbidden. Still, Adam would stretch out upon the warm, welcoming grass, his heart brimming with wonder, as he watched these mysterious beings soar overhead.

He had honoured the sacred rules his mother set forth, never straying from the venerable Tree of Life, never once daring to breach the golden gates that cradled him in safety.

It wasn't so bad, he mused to himself, the gentle solitude wrapping around him like a soft blanket.

“Cain! Come on!” Adam implored; hands perched defiantly on his hips. “Stop bullying Abel!”

The obstinate red and black peacock merely scoffed, tossing his magnificent, feathered tail with a flourish as he stormed off, sending a cascade of vibrant feathers swirling in the air. Adam leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the gust of prideful disdain. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes, releasing a soft, disappointed sound as he turned his attention toward Abel.

Kneeling on the sun-kissed grass, he shifted closer to his smallest peacock, who seemed to embody gentleness itself. With tender hands, he opened his arms wide, welcoming Abel into a warm embrace.

“Did Cain hurt you badly this time?” he asked, carefully inspecting the delicate pink and white feathers that adorned Abel. The reason behind Cain’s relentless teasing remained a mystery to him, but he could never fathom why his heartless brother targeted the sweet little runt of the family.

Abel responded with a soft coo, nuzzling deeper into Adam's embrace, and Adam’s heart swelled with affection. He smiled tenderly, lifting the small peacock effortlessly into his arms, feeling the familiar warmth of companionship. A soft crack echoed as he straightened, relieved to find that Abel’s feathers remained unscathed this time. Cain hadn’t managed to snatch any away. Adam had hoped for a kinder heart to blossom in Cain, but alas, the bully remained unchanged.

“Don’t worry, dear Abel. I’ll protect you from the big, mean Cain~” he sang softly, cradling the peacock gently as he began to stroll back toward the majestic Tree of Life.

Abel cooed again, nuzzling his fluffy white head affectionately against Adam’s cheek. Adam grinned, feeling a spark of joy light up his heart.

“I’ll groom your feathers again~” he whispered playfully, swaying slightly with the little peacock nestled against him.

Adam began to hum a soft, lilting melody that Apollo had taught him so many lifetimes ago. The song drifted through the garden, soft as the breeze that swirled around the shimmering feathers of his peacock family. As the tender notes floated on the air, the mischievous birds gradually settled down, their playful antics pausing for the moment. Adam’s golden eyes sparkled with a mix of love and amusement as he caught several of them mid-mischief, their vibrant tails fanning out in innocence as he strolled by. But as he passed, they quieted, calmed by his presence and song.

It had been far too long since his mother, Hera, had visited. A familiar ache twisted in Adam’s chest at the thought of her absence. He adored his peacocks—they filled his days with color and company—but he couldn’t deny the depth of his longing to see Hera again. Nearly a hundred years had passed since their last meeting, and the distance only deepened his yearning. Something was happening outside the golden gates, something momentous, and though Adam didn’t know what it was, he could feel it in the air. His curiosity gnawed at him, mingling with a growing sense of exclusion. Why was he being left out? Why had the gods turned their attention elsewhere?

As he approached the towering Tree of Life, Adam’s gaze shifted upward—and his footsteps came to an abrupt halt. His heart skipped a beat, confusion flickering across his face. There, hovering in the air near the sacred tree, was a figure. They moved gracefully, never quite touching the tree, but far too close for Adam’s comfort. His eyes darted toward his peacocks, many of whom had now noticed the intruder, and Cain, ever the troublemaker, had begun to creep toward the tree, his striking red and black feathers ruffling in preparation for an attack.

Sharing a quick, knowing glance with Abel, Adam tiptoed closer, curiosity fully piqued. The figure was breathtakingly beautiful—unlike any being Adam had ever seen. He had met countless gods and goddesses over the centuries, but none had ever taken his breath away quite like this mysterious stranger.

Suddenly, the figure’s six enormous, feathered wings fluttered, lifting them higher, closer to the branches of the ancient tree. Adam’s gaze locked onto their hands as they stretched out, fingertips grazing the air just inches from Athena’s golden apple of knowledge. The figure remained blissfully unaware of Adam—or of the slyly advancing Cain.

“I wouldn’t do that~” Adam called out softly, though his voice held a note of awe.

The stranger jerked in surprise, their head snapping upward—only to smack it against a low-hanging branch. Their pristine white top hat flew as they winced, rubbing their head with a pained expression. Slowly, they turned to face Adam, their eyes half-closed in discomfort.

“Huh?” they murmured, blinking down at him.

“I suggest you move,” Adam said with a helpful smile, gesturing toward Cain with a nod.

Wide, beautiful blue eyes—large and round—peered down at Adam in astonishment. The stranger’s cherry-red lips parted, barely able to form words before Cain leaped at them with a furious squawk. With a startled yelp, the winged figure darted out of the way just in time, but Cain wasn’t satisfied with merely scaring them off. He launched himself from the tree, landing squarely on the stranger in a tangle of feathers and limbs, sending both crashing to the ground in a messy heap.

Gasping, Adam quickly set Abel down and dashed over, grabbing Cain around the middle. “Cain, stop!” he pleaded, tugging the furious peacock off the bewildered stranger. Even as Adam lifted him, Cain continued to squawk and thrash, determined to make his displeasure known.

“You’ve made your point!” Adam sighed, stepping toward the Tree of Life.

Cain huffed indignantly, casting one last spiteful glance at the stranger before leaping from Adam’s arms and retreating high into the tree branches, where he glared down like an angry sentinel.

Shaking his head, Adam turned his attention back to the newcomer, who was still lying on the ground, dazed but seemingly unharmed. Aside from a few scratches and a mess of feathers tangled in their golden curls, they appeared mostly fine. Adam knelt beside them; concern etched on his face.

“Um... are you okay?” he asked, his voice sheepish.

The winged figure blinked up at him, their large blue eyes glowing with confusion. Slowly, they sat up, their six wings fluttering as they shook off the shock. They frowned, rubbing the scratch on their blue-painted cheek and sending a glare toward Cain, who squawked mockingly from his perch.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You should really control your bird,” they grumbled, their voice low and disgruntled.

Adam tilted his head, his eyes sweeping over the stranger with unabashed curiosity. Up close, they were even more striking. Their golden curls framed a face that seemed to have been kissed by artistry itself, their long black lashes framing eyes that gleamed like polished sapphires. No nose graced their face, but their cherry-red lips and blue-painted cheeks gave them an ethereal charm. Their six wings shimmered in the sunlight, a blend of snow and sky-blue feathers that glittered like frost in the morning light.

“Oh!” Adam gasped softly, spotting the golden halo that hovered just above the stranger’s head. His eyes widened in awe as he reached for the white top hat that had fallen nearby. “Um... this is yours?”

The stranger eyed the hat for a moment, then reached out, their fingers brushing Adam’s as they took it. Before they could speak, Cain hissed from above.

“I’ve never seen you before,” the stranger remarked, their tone guarded.

“I could say the same about you!” Adam chirped brightly, excitement bubbling in his voice. “I’ve never seen you in my garden before!”

“What?” The stranger frowned, their wings giving a sharp flutter as they rose gracefully to their feet. “Your garden? This belongs to the Queen of Gods, doesn’t it?”

“My mother’s garden,” Adam hummed, his eyes wide with fascination as he watched the stranger’s wings move.

The stranger’s brows shot up in disbelief. “Your mother? Who are you?”

Adam giggled softly, still holding the fallen white top hat, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I really am Adam,” he insisted, “The first human.”

The stranger snorted in disbelief, shaking their head and narrowing their sapphire eyes. “No, you're not. I know who the first humans are. It’s been my responsibility to guide them for the past year or so.”

“Oh? And who are these ‘first humans,’ then?” he asked, his golden gaze sparkling with interest. Adam tilted his head to the side, curiosity piqued.

 “The first man is named Steve,” they said, their voice dripping with authority. The stranger puffed up with pride, their wings fluttering slightly as they crossed their arms. “But he’s not exactly the nicest guy. In fact, he’s a bully—controlling, bossy, always pushing people around. And he torments Lilith constantly.”

Adam’s brow furrowed in confusion, his lips parting. “Lilith? Who’s Lilith?”

The stranger raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback that Adam didn’t know. “Lilith is the first woman. She and Steve were created together, as equals, to bring mankind into being. But Steve—well, he’s been nothing but trouble. Constantly tries to overpower Lilith, treating her like she’s beneath him.”

Adam blinked, processing the stranger’s words. Then, suddenly, it clicked. He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head in realization.

“Ohhh, now I get it. I think I finally know what’s been going on—why my mother, Hera, was so upset all those centuries ago.”

The stranger stopped short, his prideful expression fading into silent curiosity. He didn’t say a word, but his intense blue eyes stayed locked on Adam, waiting.

Blushing under the stranger’s gaze, Adam cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. “I’m guessing this Steve and Lilith... they were created by Zeus, weren’t they? The King of the Gods?”

The stranger gave a stiff nod, still watching Adam closely. His curiosity only deepened when Adam giggled softly again, as if finally understanding something profound.

“That explains it,” Adam whispered to himself, though the stranger’s sharp ears caught every word. “That’s why Mother was so furious with him. Zeus... he copied her. He went off and created his own humans.”

The angel's interest intensified, and he moved a step closer, his blue eyes bright and filled with a kind of desperate curiosity.

“What do you mean?” he asked, voice soft, almost breathless.

Adam looked up, meeting those glowing eyes. He took a step forward, leaning in slightly, causing the angel’s cheeks to flush the colour of sunrise.

 “I mean,” Adam began, his voice soft and full of warmth, “I am the first human. I was born centuries ago, and I’ve lived here in Hera’s Garden ever since, caring for the Tree of Life.”

The stranger’s gaze shifted from Adam to the magnificent tree behind them, its branches pulsing with ancient energy. “You mean... it’s your responsibility to take care of the tree?”

Adam beamed, his smile wide and radiant. “Yes! The tree is deeply connected to me—born from my emotions, my feelings, my experiences. Each time I learn something new, each time I feel something deeply, a new apple grows.”

The stranger’s eyes widened in awe, their wings quivering slightly as they gazed at the tree. “I... I never knew that,” they whispered to themselves, voice barely audible. “There’s so much I didn’t know.”

“Who are you?” he asked at last, his voice gentle. Adam stepped forward again, catching their gaze, his own eyes soft and curious. “I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

The angel’s face turned bright red under Adam’s attentive gaze. He took a step back, tugging nervously at the collar of his blue-and-white robes.

“I... I’m an angel,” he stammered, eyes flicking away from Adam’s intense gaze.

Adam gasped, his golden eyes growing wide with excitement. “An angel! I’ve been waiting so long to meet one!”

His joy was almost infectious as he leaned in eagerly. “Do you have a name?”

The angel shook his head, his expression turning a bit sombre. “No. None of us do. Angels... we aren’t given names.”

Adam frowned at that, the idea of someone so beautiful and special not having a name stirring something in his heart.

 “Well, that’s no good,” he declared, crossing his arms with determination. “You need a name! I’m quite good at naming things, you know. I named all the peacocks!”

 “Fine,” he sighed after a moment, a trace of amusement slipping through his serious exterior. The angel raised an eyebrow, giving Adam a dry look, but he didn’t protest. “What would you call me, then?”

Adam tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he studied the angel. After a few moments, his face lit up with a soft blush.

“Lucifer,” he said with a shy smile. “I think your name should be Lucifer.”

The angel blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that. For a moment, he was silent, rolling the name over in his mind. To his own surprise, he found that he liked it—really liked it.

“Lucifer,” he repeated slowly, a smile ghosting at the edges of his lips. “Why that name?”

Adam’s blush deepened, and he glanced down, suddenly bashful.

“Because...” he started, glancing back up at Lucifer, “You remind me of the Morning Star.”

Lucifer stared at Adam, wide-eyed and speechless for the first time, his heart skipping a beat. The name felt perfect, as if it had always been waiting for him, and Adam’s warm, sincere gaze made it even more meaningful. For the first time, Lucifer felt seen—truly seen—and as the gentle breeze stirred the golden leaves above them, the magic of that moment settled between them like stardust.

Lucifer shook his head, trying to dispel the strange warmth blooming in his chest. His six wings trembled, and he quickly pulled himself away from Adam, not realizing just how close he had leaned in, drawn by the soft glow of Adam's golden eyes and the blush deepening on his cheeks. Lucifer’s own face flushed pink, and in a moment of flustered panic, he pulled down his top hat to hide the heat rising in his cheeks.

“I-I should get going!” he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. “I have to get back to Eden. I—I don’t want to be accused of neglecting my responsibilities!”

His wings fluttered awkwardly, ready to lift him away, as if his sudden escape could mask the overwhelming feelings stirring inside him.

Adam’s eyes widened in surprise, and he instinctively stumbled after the angel. “Wait, Lucifer!”

Lucifer froze mid-flight, his heart stuttering at the sound of his name. It was so new, so strange to be called by something that felt so... personal. His whole body shivered as if the sound of his name from Adam’s lips was a gust of wind brushing over his skin. Slowly, he turned, his wings flapping just enough to keep him suspended in the air, his face growing even redder.

“Y-Yes?” he managed, his voice soft and trembling. “What is it?”

Adam hesitated, his hands fidgeting with nervous energy, his golden eyes wide and pleading. “You’ll come back, won’t you? You’ll come see me again, right?”

There was a desperate hope in Adam’s voice, something that tugged at Lucifer’s very soul. The thought of never seeing the angel again made Adam’s chest tighten, an ache he didn’t understand, but one that was impossible to ignore.

Lucifer swallowed hard, his heart racing as he held Adam’s gaze. Something inside him fluttered in response—an unfamiliar feeling, like the beginning of a melody he had never heard but somehow knew by heart.

“I... I will,” he answered softly, his voice steadier this time. “I’ll come back and see you soon. I promise.”

The way Adam’s face lit up, the way his smile radiated pure joy, sent Lucifer’s heart into a flustered spiral, his blush deepening as he looked away. His wings fluttered nervously, but the smile on Adam’s face left him rooted in place for just a moment longer, drinking in the sight of that happiness, like sunlight spilling into a shadowed corner.

Neither of them noticed the soft, shimmering magic that began to swirl around the branches of the Tree of Life. High above them, a ruby-red apple began to take shape, its surface gleaming like a polished gem, born from the quiet wonder blooming between them. The tree pulsed with quiet energy, responding to the bond being formed in that very moment, a connection laced with tenderness and curiosity, so fragile yet so profound.

For just a second, Lucifer’s wings fluttered slower, his gaze lingering on Adam’s glowing face. He felt something stir deep within him, something he wasn’t ready to name. But with a final bashful glance, he tore himself away, shooting into the sky, his heart pounding in a way that was entirely new to him.

As he disappeared into the heavens, Adam stood beneath the Tree of Life, watching Lucifer’s graceful flight, the angel’s name lingering on his lips like a whispered wish. A soft breeze rustled the leaves above, and the new apple shimmered, as if the tree itself was smiling down at the beginning of something beautiful.

~#~

Adam carefully pulled himself up the great, ancient branches of the Tree of Life, his giggles lost in the whispering leaves. His fingers found familiar grooves in the bark as he ascended, though today there was an odd, fluttering sensation deep in his belly—something unfamiliar, something strange. Adam couldn’t place it, but the higher he climbed, the stronger it grew.

Finally, he reached a particular branch, his instincts guiding him. There, nestled among the leaves, was something new. A shimmering, red apple that sparkled like a jewel against the golden sunlight. Adam’s large, golden eyes widened in surprise. He’d never seen an apple like this before—it was radiant, almost glowing, with an unmistakable energy pulsing from within. Tiny, ethereal hearts seemed to flicker inside the fruit, as if it were alive with some kind of magic.

Gently, Adam extended a hand, brushing his fingertips over the apple’s surface. It responded instantly, pulsing warmly under his touch. His breath hitched, and a flush of red crept up his cheeks, the blush burning brightly across his face.

“What... is this apple?” Adam whispered to himself. He knew each apple on this tree was born from his experiences, his emotions, but what could this one mean? What feeling had been awakened inside him?

Before he could ponder further, a sudden voice, full of mischief, broke the quiet.

“Boo!”

Adam squealed, startled, losing his grip on the branch. His arms flailed as he wobbled and then, with a small yelp, he tumbled from the tree.

But instead of hitting the ground, he landed in a pair of familiar, strong arms. Lucifer’s bell-like laughter rang out as he cradled Adam like a bride, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Did you miss me, Addie?” Lucifer teased, flashing a mischievous grin.

“Luci!” Adam huffed, smacking the angel playfully on the shoulder. His heart raced, still recovering from the surprise. “I told you not to sneak up on me like that!”

Lucifer giggled, his wings fluttering playfully as he spun them through the air, holding Adam securely. The gentle twirl made Adam whine, kicking his legs in protest.

“Put me down!” Adam pouted, squirming in Lucifer’s arms. “You know I don’t like it when you do this!”

Lucifer, grinning like the playful troublemaker he was, nuzzled against the side of Adam’s flushed cheek.

“But you make the cutest expressions, Addie~” he sang sweetly, delighting in Adam’s blushing face.

“S-Shut up!” Adam whimpered, his cheeks now a brilliant shade of red, as if competing with the apple he'd just seen.

Nearby, Cain, ever the jealous peacock, hissed and spat angrily at the angel. Lucifer’s face darkened with mock seriousness as he held Adam tighter, his possessive streak shining through.

“You know, Cain,” Lucifer said in a sing-song voice, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “At this rate, I just might run away with Addie~”

He whistled softly, pretending to consider it. “I could kidnap him, and you'd never see him again~”

Cain squawked furiously, his red and black feathers puffing up in outrage, the proud bird flapping his wings aggressively.

Adam sighed, exasperated, glancing between Lucifer and the indignant peacock. “Alright, alright, that’s enough. Stop teasing Cain. No wonder he doesn’t like you!”

Lucifer gasped in exaggerated disbelief. “Oi! I didn’t do anything! He’s the one who attacked me first!”

Despite his protests, Lucifer landed gently on the grass, a safe distance from Cain, who still eyed him suspiciously. With a cheeky grin, Lucifer stuck his tongue out at the huffy bird.

“He’s just jealous cause you like someone else more than him now!”

Adam’s face grew even redder at that comment, his gaze flicking nervously to Cain, who puffed up even more as if to challenge Lucifer’s claim. The poor man let out a sheepish laugh, trying to diffuse the tension as he stepped away from Lucifer’s teasing hold.

Lucifer, ever the opportunist, plopped down next to Abel, the gentle and quiet peacock of the flock. Abel wasted no time snuggling into Lucifer’s lap, cooing softly as the angel stroked his delicate pink and white feathers. A soft smile graced Lucifer’s face as he lovingly groomed Abel, his usual mischievousness replaced by tenderness.

“At least Abel likes me~” Lucifer cooed, his fingers working through the bird’s feathers with care. Abel purred in contentment, nuzzling into the angel’s hands, a perfect contrast to his fiery brother Cain.

Adam couldn’t help but smile at the sight, his heart warming at the gentle scene. Despite Lucifer’s playful antics, there was a softness to him—a sweetness that made Adam’s chest ache in the most wonderful way.

Since the moment Lucifer had first appeared in Hera's garden, he'd kept his word, sneaking back time and time again to visit Adam. Each meeting brought new stories—mostly rants about Steve's awful behavior or Lilith's brilliant inventions—but no matter the topic, Lucifer always seemed most eager simply to be with Adam. And Adam, too, found himself looking forward to their time together, that strange feeling in his chest growing more intense with each encounter.

Adam found himself watching Lucifer more often than he cared to admit. The angel was captivating, and there was something undeniably charming about his mischievous nature, his radiant blue eyes framed by his golden curls, the way his six wings fluttered when he laughed.

One afternoon, as they sat together in the shade of the Tree of Life, Adam found himself gazing a bit too long. Lucifer, who never missed a chance to tease, grinned and caught Adam’s stare.

"Do you like what you see?" Lucifer teased, winking smugly as he leaned back with an air of confidence. "Because I like what I see too~"

Adam’s cheeks flamed, turning a deep shade of red as he looked away, flustered. He scratched at his warm cheek and gathered his thoughts, finally turning back to Lucifer, his heartbeat fluttering. Something had been bothering him for a while, and it was time to ask.

"Luci," Adam began, his voice more serious than usual. "What were you doing by my tree back then?"

Lucifer, who had been gently grooming Abel's feathers, froze mid-motion. His expression shifted from playful to confused. "Huh?" He blinked, clearly not expecting the question. "What do you mean?"

Adam frowned, sitting up straighter. The air between them felt different—heavier. "Before Cain attacked you," Adam clarified, locking eyes with Lucifer. "What were you doing near the Apples of Life?"

For a moment, Lucifer said nothing. His mouth opened, then closed again, as if struggling to find the right words. His wings, normally so full of energy, sagged slightly. Adam’s heart clenched with worry, sensing something deeper beneath the angel’s hesitation.

"Lucifer..." Adam’s voice grew firmer, almost trembling. "What were you doing by the tree?"

Lucifer swallowed thickly, avoiding Adam’s gaze. "I... I was going to take the Apple of Knowledge."

A shocked gasp escaped Adam’s lips. He shot to his feet, his golden eyes wide with horror.

"You what?!"

Lucifer winced at the sudden outburst, his wings shrinking around him in defines. "I—It wasn’t like that!" he stammered, though he couldn’t quite meet Adam’s eyes.

"Lucifer!" Adam’s voice shook with disbelief, his heart racing in his chest. "You were going to steal one of my apples?! The Apple of Knowledge?"

The significance of the apple weighed heavy on Adam’s mind. He knew its power, its ability to alter the course of those who consumed it. The thought of Lucifer—his Lucifer—doing such a thing shook him to his core.

"I didn’t know you then!" Lucifer defended, his tone quieter, guilt lining his voice. "I didn’t know about you or the garden... I thought it was just a place of power. I didn’t know how much it meant, Adam. I swear!"

His blue eyes finally met Adam's, filled with something like regret. "I was only trying to... to help."

Adam’s heart ached as he saw the turmoil in Lucifer’s expression. His anger flickered, softened by the angel’s sincerity, but confusion still clouded his thoughts.

"Help?" Adam’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Help with what?"

Lucifer looked away, his hands gripping his robes. "Steve. Lilith."

His voice was low and bitter. "They were... are so miserable. Steve controls everything. He suffocates her, takes from her. I thought if I could take the Apple of Knowledge... maybe they could see what’s really happening. Maybe things could change."

Lucifer kept his gaze on the ground, shame flickering across his face. "I thought it was the only way to help them. But when I met you, when I saw the tree... I knew I couldn’t do it. That’s why I stopped. That’s why I never took the apple."

"You’re not like him," Lucifer whispered. "You’re not like Steve. You care, you’re different, you’re....I just wanted to give Lilith freedom, to be able to make her own choices and…"

Adam’s heart pounded painfully in his chest. Even though he’d heard Lucifer’s reasoning, the anger still simmered beneath the surface, but worse than the anger was the hurt—the deep, sharp ache that crept into his chest, making it hard to breathe. The thought of what Lucifer had said, of what he had almost done, spiralled in Adam’s mind, filling it with fear and doubt.

Tears welled up in Adam’s golden eyes, blurring his vision. His voice trembled as he spoke, barely above a whisper, "So… is that the only reason you visit me? To gain my trust? So, you could pluck one of my apples for Lilith?"

Lucifer’s head snapped around; his blue eyes wide with shock.

"What? No!" he shook his head furiously. He gently moved Abel off his lap and stood quickly, trying to close the distance between them.

Desperation crept into his voice. "Adam, no—please. That wasn’t it. I wasn’t trying to trick you!"

Adam jerked his hands away before Lucifer could touch them, pulling back like he’d been burned. Cain, ever protective, hissed viciously and leapt between them, feathers puffed in rage. Adam’s lips quivered as he gasped, his voice trembling with raw pain.

"Trick? You were trying to trick me?"

Lucifer froze, horrified. "No! No, that’s not what I meant!"

His voice broke as he shook his head, panic and regret twisting his features. "I chose the wrong words. Adam, I wasn’t trying to trick you—I swear it."

But Adam was already spiralling, the flood of emotions overwhelming him. His vision blurred as tears spilled down his cheeks, hot and unrelenting. He blinked, shocked by the intensity of his feelings, of how much it hurt.

"Lucifer…" he whispered, voice catching in his throat. "Why?"

Lucifer's heart clenched painfully at the sight of Adam’s tears. He had never seen Adam cry before. His Adam, the boy with the golden eyes who beamed brighter than the sun—now crumbling before him. Desperation surged through Lucifer’s veins.

"Adam, please," he begged, stepping forward despite Cain’s hissing. "Please listen to me!"

But Adam shook his head, turning his back on the angel, trying in vain to wipe his tears away. He could barely breathe, his chest tight with shame and confusion.

My mother will be so disappointed," he whispered brokenly. "For letting you in… for letting an intruder get so close to the tree, to me—and I didn’t even tell her." His voice cracked, the weight of it crushing him.

Lucifer stepped forward again, wings trembling with the urge to fix it, to explain. "No, Adam, it’s not like that—"

Adam was barely listening. His mind spun with the memories of every conversation, every rant Lucifer had about Lilith, about how he wanted to help her. It made his heart ache in a way he didn’t fully understand.

"You… you were trying to help Lilith?" Adam whimpered; his voice thick with emotion. He glanced up at Lucifer, his eyes wet and vulnerable. "You’re always so happy when you talk about her…"

Lucifer's wings jerked in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to respond. The accusation hung in the air like a heavy weight, and confusion flashed across Lucifer's face. He cared about Lilith, yes—but this wasn’t about her.

But Adam couldn't bear the uncertainty. It felt like a dagger twisting in his chest, burning with every heartbeat. He shook his head furiously, a sob breaking free from his throat as he stepped back, further away from Lucifer.

"You never cared about me, did you?" Adam cried out, voice cracking under the weight of his heartbreak. His golden eyes were wide and desperate. "You were just using me. To help her, weren't you?"

"No!" he pleaded, his voice breaking with the force of his denial. Lucifer flinched as if he had been struck.

He surged forward, reaching out to grab Adam’s arm, to hold onto him, to stop him from slipping away—but Cain lunged, screeching furiously, forcing Lucifer to retreat.

Adam’s heart pounded as he watched the angel flinch back, his chest heaving with the weight of his sobs. He breathed deeply, trying to steady himself, but the pain was too much. Looking Lucifer in the eye, Adam’s voice came out in a whisper, trembling and full of finality.

"You should leave."

The words hit Lucifer like a blow. He felt the sharp sting of them deep in his chest, and for the first time, he truly understood how much it hurt to see Adam like this—to see him in so much pain because of him.

"Adam, please..." he begged, his voice raw, wings drooping with the weight of his guilt. "Please listen to me…"

But Adam only turned away, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"Go," he whispered again, his voice barely holding together. “Just go away.”

Lucifer’s hands trembled as he pressed his lips together, his heart heavy with a grief he had never known. He nodded slowly, giving in to Adam’s wish, even though every part of him wanted to stay, to fight, to fix this. He hoped—prayed—that maybe, just maybe, he could come back when Adam wasn’t so sad, when things weren’t so broken.

He raised himself into the air, his wings fluttering weakly as he prepared to leave. But just as he was about to fly away, Adam called out one last time, his voice broken and fragile.

"Lucifer…"

Lucifer turned, hope flaring in his chest, only for it to shatter with Adam’s next words.

"Don’t come back."

It felt like the ground had fallen away beneath him. Lucifer hovered in the air, staring at Adam with wide, pained eyes. He wanted to scream, to protest, to tell Adam that he couldn’t leave him like this. But the words wouldn’t come. All he could do was watch as Adam stood there, tears streaming down his face, his golden eyes filled with a pain that made Lucifer’s heart break.

Swallowing hard, Lucifer nodded, his wings beating slowly as he turned away.

Adam collapsed to his knees with a sharp, broken gasp, the sound catching in his throat as the flood of emotions overwhelmed him. His golden eyes blurred completely with tears, spilling hot and unchecked down his flushed cheeks. His sobs wracked his body, each one pulling him deeper into the confusing, unbearable pain that clutched his chest. He didn’t understand. He didn’t know why it hurt this much, why the very thought of Lucifer leaving him, of never seeing him again, felt like a piece of his heart had been torn away.

Why did he care so much? Why did it feel like the world was crumbling around him for an angel he hadn’t even known until a few short years ago?

Yet, as Adam’s tears fell freely, the sorrow in his heart deepening with every ragged breath, he felt the soft fluttering of feathers and the gentle touch of his beloved peacocks. One by one, they swarmed around him, surrounding him in a cocoon of warmth and comfort, as if they too could feel the ache in their master’s heart.

Cain, with his fiery red and black plumage, pushed his way into Adam’s arms, nuzzling his sharp beak against Adam’s tear-streaked chest. He cooed softly, as if to say, I’m here, you’re not alone. Adam’s trembling hands instinctively reached out to hold the bird close, burying his fingers in Cain’s feathers. Cain had always been protective, always ready to hiss and snap at anyone who threatened Adam, but now he was gentle, quiet—his anger replaced by a deep empathy that mirrored the heartbreak in Adam’s soul.

Abel, his softer, more delicate counterpart, stood a short distance away, gazing mournfully in the direction Lucifer had flown. The usual brightness in his white and pink feathers dimmed as if he, too, felt the absence of the angel. Abel tilted his head, eyes filled with sadness, and let out a low, sorrowful trill, as though even he missed Lucifer already.

Adam’s sobs only grew louder as he held Cain tighter, his chest heaving with the force of his emotions.

“Why?” he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his grief. “Why does it hurt so much?”

His tears fell faster, dripping onto Cain’s feathers as he clutched the bird close, shaking his head in confusion. I don’t understand.

The pain in his heart was unlike anything he had ever felt. He had been happy in the garden—content in his simple existence, tending to the Tree of Life, surrounded by the peacocks and the beauty of Hera’s creation. He had known nothing of longing or love until Lucifer had appeared. And now… now, everything was tangled, broken, and raw.

The memories of Lucifer—his teasing smile, his playful winks, the way his blue eyes sparkled when he talked about Lilith—flashed through Adam’s mind, each one tightening the knot in his chest. A part of him had always known Lucifer was different, but never like this. Never so deeply that it left him breathless, left him aching when the angel wasn’t nearby.

Adam whimpered softly, wiping at his tears in vain as they continued to fall.

“Was it all a lie?” he choked out, staring blankly at the ground, his voice barely a whisper.

Did Lucifer ever really care about me? Or had he been nothing more than a tool, a way to get to the Apple of Knowledge? The thought made Adam’s heart shatter all over again.

Cain’s gentle nuzzles against his chest brought a flicker of comfort, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deep wound Lucifer had unknowingly left behind. Adam tried to steady his breathing, tried to stop the sobs from spilling out of him, but it was no use. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lucifer’s face—saw the moment his wings sagged under the weight of Adam’s rejection, saw the heartbreak reflected in his eyes when Adam told him to leave.

Cain cooed softly again, his feathers brushing against Adam’s tear-soaked face, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. But Adam’s chest still burned with the ache of loss, the confusion of feelings he couldn’t quite understand.

As Abel let out another low trill, Adam’s shoulders slumped, his body trembling. He buried his face into Cain’s feathers, allowing himself to fall apart under the weight of his emotions. For the first time in his life, Adam felt something more than simple happiness, more than curiosity about the world. He felt pain—raw, real, and overwhelming.

And in the quiet of Hera’s Garden, with only the sound of his sobs and the soft rustle of feathers around him, Adam realized just how deeply he had fallen for the angel who had stolen his heart.

Lucifer.

The one who was never supposed to come back.

“So, this is the love Aphrodite spoke off.”

The only red apple on the Tree of Life fell, landing softly on the ground behind Adam—glowing faintly, like a heart slowly fading into darkness.

~#~

Adam didn't know how long it had been since he’d cast Lucifer out of the garden. Days bled into months, each one stretching endlessly, empty and quiet. The only reminder of the angel’s presence was the red apple Adam now held in his hands, its vibrant hue stark against the muted backdrop of Hera’s Garden. He gazed down at it wearily, rolling it back and forth between his palms. The apple was still warm, though not with the overwhelming, electric pulse it had carried before—just a gentle heat that felt strangely alive, as though it held onto something from Lucifer.

With a sigh, Adam lifted his eyes to the branches above, wondering why it had fallen. What was the meaning of this strange, new apple? His golden eyes dimmed with the weight of the question. There was no answer. There was only the ache in his heart, a dull, ever-present pain that he had begun to accept as part of himself.

Carefully, Adam bent down and placed the apple between the roots of the Tree of Life, as though returning it to the earth might return something he had lost. He sat beside it, propping his elbows on his knees, and exhaled deeply.

Maybe Aphrodite is watching me now, he thought bitterly, his lips twisting into a sad smile.

The goddess of love, always revelling in the pain her craft brought. Was she somewhere, laughing at him? Delighting in the sight of his despair?

The greatest story, huh?

Adam sniffed, closing his eyes. He had stopped crying after the first few months, and now all that was left was the hollow emptiness, the slow, creeping acceptance that maybe his heart would never fully heal. It would have been better, easier, if he had never met Lucifer at all.

He was about to stand when a sudden warmth bloomed beside him, and he gasped in surprise. He turned his head, wide-eyed, only to be met with a vision of beauty so breathtaking that for a moment, he thought he was dreaming.

Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, sat beside him, her presence like a shimmering sunset, her golden curls glowing as they tumbled down her back. Her smile was radiant, though there was something mischievous in the curve of her lips, something far too knowing. With a delicate touch, she brushed her fingertips along Adam’s cheek, leaving behind the faintest warmth that made him shudder. He snapped his head up in bewilderment, unsure whether to recoil or lean into her touch.

“Aphrodite…” he breathed, his voice a whisper of disbelief.

She chuckled softly, her laughter light and teasing. "Yes, my dear. You don't need to get up." She waved a graceful hand, and at her command, a bed of small pink flowers bloomed at her feet, delicate and heart-shaped, their petals hanging like tiny teardrops. Adam blinked, astonished, as he looked at them. He had never seen such flowers in Hera’s Garden before.

“What... what are these?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes wide in curiosity and grief.

Aphrodite smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement as she gestured to the flowers.

"Dicentras," she explained softly, “Also known as bleeding hearts. They symbolize heartbreak and the sorrow of losing someone you love.”

Adam’s heart clenched at her words. The beauty of the flowers seemed almost cruel in their meaning, a reflection of the ache deep in his chest. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the fresh wave of emotion that threatened to overcome him.

Of course, he thought bitterly. Of course, she would bring these.

“So?” Aphrodite questioned, something dangerously, something amused in the curve of her red lips. “How did you enjoy my Angel?”

“Angel? So…Lucifer really was the Angel…you swore me to secrecy?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly. He glanced up at the goddess, his gaze sharp and full of pain. “Were you… were you proud of him?””

A laugh escaped the Goddess. “Oh, my sweet Addie, did you forget? Of course, Luci was my Angel~ I crafted him to be special for you~”

Adam’s breath caught in his throat, and he looked at her with broken, disbelieving eyes. His heart twisted painfully in his chest.

“So… so you really were the one who made him?” His voice trembled. “You’re the reason he—”

The goddess cut him off with an airy wave of her hand. “Of course. You needed to experience love, didn’t you? It’s something Hera would never understand.”

Her eyes gleamed with a cruel kind of joy, a sickening delight at the heartache she had so carefully orchestrated.

Adam shook his head, tears threatening to well up again as he looked at her. This time, there was no awe in his gaze, only coldness—a bitterness that had taken root deep in his soul. Aphrodite seemed to revel in it, her eyes twinkling with delight.

“Why?” he asked, his voice hoarse with pain. “Why did you make me fall for him? For Lucifer? When he… when he loves someone else?”

Aphrodite tilted her head, her pink lips curling into a sly, knowing smile. Her golden curls shimmered in the light as she regarded Adam with a bemused expression.

“And how are you so sure,” she purred, “That Lucifer is in love with Lilith?”

Adam’s eyes narrowed, his suspicion flaring. He took a defensive step back, shaking his head.

“This… this isn’t a show for you to marvel at,” he whispered, his voice thick with anger and grief. “My pain… it’s not your entertainment.”

Aphrodite threw her head back and laughed, the sound rich and joyful, echoing through the garden like the pealing of bells.

“Oh, my dear,” she said, reaching out as though to brush another strand of hair from Adam’s face, though he flinched away. “Your story isn’t over. Not yet. There is so much more to come, and I can hardly wait to witness it all.”

Adam’s breath hitched, the weight of her words settling heavily in his chest. He turned away, his gaze lingering on the heart-shaped flowers at his feet, their pink petals glistening like tears. His heart throbbed painfully, and though he knew Aphrodite was right—that his story wasn’t finished—he couldn’t help but wish it was.

Because, right now, he wasn’t sure he could take any more of this heartbreak.

“You know, Addie, perhaps forgiveness might be the key to something greater.” Aphrodite hinted knowingly. Her sharp blue eyes flickering towards the hidden Apple of Love. Her apple. “Maybe...you should consider taking a bite~”

Closing his eyes exhaustedly, Adam sighed. He didn’t want to be hurt again.

~#~

Adam tried to ignore the apple of love, the one Aphrodite had left behind like a cruel reminder. He wanted nothing more than to forget it existed, but his resolve weakened every time he returned to the Tree of Life. Despite Cain's watchful, disapproving gaze, Adam found himself holding the red apple in his hands, turning it over and over, its smooth surface warming under his touch.

He couldn't stop wondering about what Aphrodite had said. To bite the apple of love—what would happen to me? The thought was sinful, troubling, but it dug itself deep into his mind. What would Hera, his mother, say if she knew? Would she be disappointed, furious? Or was it destiny, like Aphrodite implied, to feel this pain, to be tempted by love’s impossible promise?

Adam sighed, resting his forehead against his knees as he sat beneath the sprawling branches. The apple's warmth soothed him, but it also gnawed at his thoughts, pulling him into dangerous territory. He found himself questioning more than just his own feelings.

Why can’t anyone take an apple from the Tree of Life? The question spiraled inside him, growing heavier. Why wasn’t Lucifer allowed to take the apple of knowledge? If they were forbidden, then why did they exist at all? Adam furrowed his brow, his chest tightening with the weight of it all. Hera had once said that the tree would be used for mankind in the future, but why wasn’t he allowed to take from it now?

Adam shook his head, trying to shake off the unease, but his thoughts continued to spiral. He was absentmindedly playing with the fallen apple of love when something unexpected happened—something that made his heart skip a beat.

Lucifer had returned.

Adam didn’t hear him at first. Lucifer moved like a shadow, carefully avoiding the attention of the peacocks that lounged about the garden. He knew they wouldn’t take kindly to him, especially not after Adam had told him to leave. And Cain—Cain would be even worse. Lucifer’s wings twitched nervously at the thought of another encounter with the fiery bird.

But he had to try. He had to see Adam. His heart hadn’t been the same since the day Adam had cast him out. The pain of it had gnawed at him relentlessly, and no matter how many times he’d told himself to stay away, he couldn’t. He needed to make Adam understand.

Lucifer landed softly, his gaze darting across the garden. He froze when he saw one of the peacocks watching him, its feathers rippling like a threat. Lucifer’s wings tensed, ready to defend himself. But then the bird stepped out from the shadows, revealing itself to be Abel, his soft pink and white feathers gleaming in the moonlight.

Lucifer sighed in relief; his breath shaky. He crouched down to Abel’s height, whispering urgently, “I’m not here to hurt him, Abel. I just need to see him. Please... My heart hasn’t been the same since that day.”

Abel stared up at him with eyes full of hurt and distrust, his wings twitching as though he could hardly bear to look at Lucifer. But as Lucifer knelt closer, his voice softer, he pleaded, “I know you’re disappointed in me. I didn’t mean to hurt him, Abel. I didn’t. I’m going to make it right. I just need your help.”

For a long, agonizing moment, Abel’s feathers bristled. Lucifer thought for sure the peacock would turn away or call Cain to attack him, but to his surprise, Abel eventually nodded. Without a word, he turned and led Lucifer toward the Tree of Life. Lucifer followed cautiously, his heart pounding with hope.

Abel doesn’t hate me, he thought. There’s still a chance.

As they neared the great tree, Lucifer's breath caught in his throat. The Tree of Life had grown larger, its branches sprawling even more majestically than before. But his blue eyes didn’t linger on the tree for long. All he could focus on was Adam.

Adam sat beneath the tree, bathed in the soft golden light of the sunset, the red apple resting in his hands. Lucifer’s chest tightened at the sight of him. He looked so lost, so fragile, and yet... so beautiful. Lucifer could hardly breathe.

For a moment, he simply watched, unsure of how to approach. But then, a furious squawk shattered the silence, and Lucifer barely managed to dodge as Cain swooped down, claws extended. Lucifer braced for impact, but Abel was faster. In a blur of white feathers, Abel pinned his brother to the ground, shocking both Adam and Lucifer.

Adam blinked in disbelief, his golden eyes wide as Abel casually settled himself atop Cain, keeping him from attacking. Cain struggled beneath him, hissing and spitting, but it was no use—Abel wasn’t moving.

Both Adam and Lucifer stared at each other, frozen in place, neither saying a word. Time seemed to stretch between them, the weight of their unspoken words filling the air. Adam’s hands trembled, and before he could stop himself, the red apple slipped from his fingers, tumbling across the grass.

Lucifer moved instinctively, reaching down to pick it up before Adam could. His fingers brushed over the apple’s smooth surface, and for a moment, the two of them were caught in another staring contest, the apple cradled in Lucifer’s hands like a fragile connection between them.

Adam swallowed hard, his eyes flicking to the apple and then back to Lucifer.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered, though his voice lacked the conviction it once held.

“I know,” Lucifer said softly, his gaze never leaving Adam’s face. “But I had to come. I couldn’t stay away.”

Adam’s heart wavered, torn between the hurt he still felt and the undeniable pull of his feelings for the angel.

“Why... why now?” he asked, his voice breaking.

Lucifer hesitated, his eyes flickering with something raw, something that looked almost like pain. “Because I need you to know... it wasn’t about the apple. It wasn’t about anything else. It was always about you, Adam. I came back for you.”

Adam’s breath hitched, and for a moment, his resolve crumbled. But then, as the apple lay between them, he remembered Aphrodite’s words, the cruel twist of fate that had brought them here. His eyes darkened with the weight of it all.

“I don’t know if I can believe you,” Adam whispered, his voice filled with a sadness that made Lucifer’s chest ache.

The silence between them stretched on, heavy and uncertain, as the red apple gleamed in Lucifer’s hands, a reminder of the love and heartbreak that now bound them together.

Lucifer inhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as if the weight of the moment pressed against him. His voice was soft, tender, as though he feared breaking the fragile thread between them. “You’re half right,” he began, eyes never leaving Adam’s weary gaze.

Adam turned his head slightly, exhaustion evident in the lines of his face. The pain was still fresh, raw. It was too much, and Lucifer could see it, could feel it hanging heavy in the air between them.

“I thought I was in love with Lilith,” Lucifer admitted, his words trembling like a confession long buried. “I thought... what I felt for her was love. I did come to take the Apple of Knowledge to give to her.”

Adam’s body tensed at the reminder, his heart sinking with a familiar ache. He began to turn away, not wanting to hear more, not wanting to be drawn into Lucifer’s honeyed words again. He had fallen for them before, only to be left shattered.

But Lucifer approached him delicately, his fingers cradling the red apple of love as if it were something sacred. His voice dropped to a whisper, laced with vulnerability. “It couldn’t have been love, because the moment I met you, Adam... you changed everything. You turned my world upside down.”

Adam tried to steady his breath, forcing his attention elsewhere. His fingers dug into the grass beneath him as if trying to anchor himself, trying to resist the pull of Lucifer’s presence. But it was hard. So hard.

Lucifer kneeled beside him, his movements slow and careful, as though approaching a wounded animal. His fingers brushed against Adam’s chin, soft and deliberate, turning Adam’s face toward his own. Their eyes met, and Adam found himself lost again in those endless blue depths—depths that once felt like home but now felt dangerous.

“I fell in love with you,” Lucifer whispered, the words trembling with sincerity. “The real reason I kept sneaking into the garden wasn’t to take anything—it was to see you. I couldn’t stay away. I needed to be near you. I loved the way you looked at me, the way you spoke, the way you made me feel alive.”

Adam’s heart clenched, the familiar pang of betrayal fighting against the undeniable pull Lucifer still had over him. He tried to harden himself, to block it out. But Lucifer’s hand moved gently to his own, guiding it toward his chest, pressing it there.

Adam’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt it—Lucifer’s heart, racing beneath his hand. A wild, frantic beat that seemed to mirror the chaos within Adam’s own chest.

“I’ve been in agony since you told me to leave,” Lucifer continued, his voice low and pleading. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to come back every moment, to hold you, to make things right.”

Adam shook his head, his throat tight. “I can’t believe you,” he whispered, the weight of disbelief and longing tearing at his resolve.

Lucifer’s grip on his hand tightened gently, his blue eyes piercing through Adam’s uncertainty.

“But you named me,” he said, his voice barely above a breath, filled with a kind of awe. “No one’s ever named me before. Steve, Lilith—they tried, but I never accepted it. I hated every name that was given to me. But the name you gave me, ‘Luci’... it felt right.”

Adam blinked, his heart faltering as he stared at Lucifer. “I... I don’t understand,” he murmured, confused by the depth of emotion in Lucifer’s voice.

“We were always meant to find each other,” Lucifer said, his tone firm with conviction. “I didn’t realize it then, but I do now. You were meant to name me. We were always meant to be... together.”

Adam’s lips parted, but no words came. His mind was spinning, his emotions a tangled mess of pain, anger, and something he didn’t want to admit. Lucifer's words, his presence—it all broke through the walls he had tried so hard to build.

Lucifer’s gaze softened as he looked down at the red apple still in his hand. His voice was gentle as he asked, “What is this apple, Adam?”

Adam’s breath caught, his throat tight as he whispered, “It’s Aphrodite’s apple. The apple of love.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened, genuine surprise flickering across his face. “I didn’t know...”

“I didn’t know my mother had an apple like this,” he said softly, as though the revelation meant something deeper to him.

Tears brimmed in Adam’s eyes again, the ache in his chest becoming unbearable. He looked at Lucifer, feeling so utterly broken, but so desperate for something—anything—to make sense.

Lucifer moved closer, his hand finding Adam’s cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that slipped free. The touch was tender, comforting in a way that made Adam want to cry even harder. Then, with a determined glint in his eye, Lucifer brought the apple of love to his lips. He bit into its soft, pink flesh, a burst of sweetness filling his mouth.

Before Adam could react, Lucifer leaned in, his breath warm against Adam’s trembling lips. And then, in one swift, overwhelming moment, their lips met.

The kiss was soft at first, but intense, and it wasn’t just the sensation of their mouths coming together—it was something deeper, something that felt like their very souls were intertwining. The taste of the apple lingered on their lips, sweet and intoxicating, but there was something more to it—something powerful.

Adam’s heart raced, his mind whirling, as he realized what was happening. This wasn’t just a kiss. It was something more, something that tied them together in a way he hadn’t expected. His body trembled, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of it all.

Lucifer pulled him closer, his arms wrapping around him protectively as if he was afraid to ever let go again.

“I love you, Adam,” he whispered against his lips. “I always have. We’re meant to be together.”

The words echoed in Adam’s mind, breaking through every barrier he had built. It was painful, bittersweet, and yet... it felt real. It felt like something he had been searching for his entire life.

Tears slipped from his eyes as he pulled back slightly, breathless and trembling. He looked into Lucifer’s eyes, searching for any sign of falsehood, but all he saw was sincerity. Love.

And in that moment, Adam realized—he couldn’t fight it anymore. This love, this connection—it was undeniable. Heartbreaking and beautiful all at once.

He had fallen. They both had, just as Aphrodite had intended for them to be.

~#~

Adam trembled, his whole body aching with pure agony and pain, a sensation that gripped him tightly as he lay amidst the red and black waxy ground of the abyss. He wheezed sharply, struggling to push himself up, his muscles quaking as he slowly looked up through the misty redness swirling above him. The ceiling loomed overhead like a dark shroud, an oppressive weight pressing down upon him.

He had just been punished. The harsh reality of Hera’s wrath still lingered in his bones, an electric reminder of the fury that had rained down upon him. She had towered over him, a goddess with eyes like storm clouds, her face contorted with rage. Adam had shrunk within himself, her anger crackling in the air like lightning, each word she hurled at him igniting a deeper sense of despair. Even now, he struggled to comprehend what he had done that was so wrong. He had given the Apple of Knowledge to Lucifer after a passionate night spent entwined in each other’s arms, and in the aftermath, Lucifer had promised to bring it to the humans in Eden, swearing he would return. But he hadn’t.

Instead, the heavens had descended upon him with a wrath that felt all-consuming. Hera, in her fury, had punished him severely, casting him into this endless abyss, where Adam hit the ground painfully.

 “Since you love the forsaken angel so dearly, then you can join him in the pit of sins,” she had hissed, her words curling around him like smoke.

The memories of that moment clawed at his heart, echoing in the silence of his surroundings.

But then, suddenly, a voice cut through the haze, calling his name, a lifeline thrown into the chaos. Adam barely managed to turn his head as someone flew through the crimson mist toward him. Lucifer landed gracefully, urgency etched on his face, and raced toward Adam, gathering him up in his arms.

“Adam!” Lucifer’s voice was a mixture of relief and despair, and Adam fought to focus on his face, but darkness soon claimed him, pulling him under until he fell unconscious.

When Adam awoke, he found himself enveloped in something he had never experienced before. A bed, soft and welcoming, adorned with royal purple sheets and quilts that wrapped around him like a cocoon. Red curtains framed the bed, creating an intimate sanctuary amidst the chaos he had known. The walls were a deep royal red, patterned with shades of purple, and everywhere he looked, he was met with a surprising sight—rubber ducks. Each one was unique, scattered around the room like tiny pieces of joy.

Curiosity nudged him, and he slowly moved to slip off the bed, but his legs buckled beneath him, sending him teetering toward the ground. Just then, Lucifer appeared beside him, hurrying to catch Adam before he fell. His red and gold eyes pulsed with worry, a contrast to the vibrant hues of the room.

“Are you okay?” Lucifer whispered; his voice laced with tenderness.

Adam stared at Lucifer’s face, taking in the details as if he were memorizing a masterpiece. “You look different,” he said softly, his brow furrowing.

Lucifer’s cheeks flushed with a hint of shyness, and he brushed a hand through his slicked-back hair.

“Do you think I’m gross now?” he asked, vulnerability threading through his words.

Adam shook his head vigorously, his heart swelling with warmth. “Of course not! You’re still beautiful,” he replied, a sincerity behind his voice that resonated deep within him.

A sigh of relief escaped Lucifer’s lips, and he leaned in to kiss Adam again, the gesture sweet and filled with longing.

As their lips parted, he whispered against Adam’s mouth, “But you’ve changed too.”

Adam frowned in confusion; his curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

Lucifer hesitated for a moment, his expression conflicted, before he took Adam’s hand and led him toward a mirror standing elegantly against the wall. When Adam caught sight of himself, his breath hitched in his throat, the reflection revealing a form he hardly recognized.

His cheeks were rounder, dusted with a soft pink tint that glowed with life. But what truly captivated him were the magnificent wings cascading down his back—long and plush, they fluttered softly with a mesmerizing gradient of green and blue, interwoven with hints of orange. They resembled the regal plumes of a peacock, each feather alive with shimmering eyes that sparkled in gold, purple, and orange, echoing the vibrant hues sprouting from his hair.

“Lucifer!” he gasped; his eyes wide with astonishment. “I look like a peacock!”

Lucifer chuckled softly, a glimmer of pride in his gaze. “You’re gorgeous, Adam. You always have been.”

The two exchanged a long, loving look, the connection between them deepening, unbreakable. But then, concern seeped into Adam’s expression, and he asked, “What happened?”

Lucifer sighed deeply, shaking his head as he led Adam back to the bed. They crawled under the quilts, seeking comfort in each other’s warmth.

“After you picked the Apple of Knowledge,” he began, his voice heavy with sorrow, “you gave it to Lilith. At first, nothing happened. The other angels were furious and created a new wife for Steve—a woman named Eve. But then Lilith wanted to free Eve too and tried to give the apple to her. Eve accepted it and bit into it.”

Adam listened intently, his heart pounding as he grasped the gravity of what had transpired. “What happened next?” he asked, gently caressing Lucifer’s cheek, the fallen angel leaning into the touch.

Lucifer’s expression darkened as he continued, “I don’t know why Zeus showed himself then, but when he did, he was furious. He cast Eve out of Eden, and Steve... he must really love her because he decided to leave Eden to be with Eve.”

Silence enveloped them, and Adam could feel the weight of it pressing against him. He wanted to reach out, to comfort Lucifer, to reassure him that everything would be alright.

“That’s why you didn’t come back,” Adam said quietly, realization dawning upon him.

Lucifer nodded; his expression tormented. “Every day down here was torture. I wanted to come back to you, Adam. I was so worried about what the gods would do to you.”

Adam swallowed hard, the ache in his heart deepening. “Hera was furious. She was even more enraged when she discovered I had actually given you the apple.”

A look of pain crossed Lucifer’s face, and he clenched his jaw. “I hate them,” he said bitterly. “I hate the gods. Even my own mother, Aphrodite.”

Adam leaned in, kissing him sweetly, a soft gesture meant to soothe the wounds that ran deep between them. But then, as he pulled back, a troubling thought entered his mind—the realization that Lilith was down here too, and there was a possibility he could meet her.

Lucifer sensed the shift in Adam’s emotions, and he tightened his arms around him, pulling him closer.

“Lilith created a castle for herself,” he reassured softly. “We can visit her later. But for now, I just want to be with you.”

Lucifer’s gaze softened, and the spoke of the mansion he had created for them, with its glorious apple tree garden, hope shining in his eyes.

“I hope you’ll like it,” he said, a hint of vulnerability in his tone.

Adam nuzzled his bird-like face against Lucifer’s, his heart swelling with affection.

“I’m sure I will,” he murmured. “And this time, we can pick all the apples we want.”

Lucifer grinned at that, a smile breaking through the weight of their shared sorrows. In that moment, the abyss that had once threatened to swallow them whole felt a little less suffocating, a little more like a place where they could forge a new beginning together. The pain and heartbreak would always be a part of them, but so too would be love—a love that was fierce, tender, and unyielding.

"Yes! Let's pick all the apples with want!"

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 5, Match 3: The Fix vs. Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla

Submitted kids:

The Fix: Conrad Schintz, and then he adopted like, an whole orphanage, named Madam Loathings home for wayward interests

Kanan and Hera: Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Zeb Orrelios, Chopper

Propaganda under the cut!

The Fix:

1. “Ok ok so. Spoilers for mentopolis: First some context that mentopolis is a show that takes place inside one guys brain, all the characters represent something in the brain, and the guy whos brain they are in, named Elias Hodge, is so so very sad.

Ok so, The Fix, the personification of hyper fixation, is like is someone who has spent most of his life working for people, where his job was to 'eliminate distractions' (He kills people, basically). Then one day he is told to eliminate a child. His name is Conrad Schintz (Or the Conscience, due to an accident that happened to the guys who's brain they are in when he was a child- Conrad stopped thing he was useful, aka Elias stopped using his conscience, so his conscience has not grown since the incident, leaving him a small child)

The Fix has never had to hurt a kid before, and he doesn't want to do that, so he instead goes into protecting Conrad. Conrad kind of hates himself though and also kind of thinks he deserves to die so that's not good.

The Fix gave this like, beautiful speech to Conrad once about how hes important, I wont give the whole thing but something along the lines of "There is a butterfly who has a tail that is there for if a bird was to grab on to the tail, it would break off and the butterfly would escape. I don't think you are the tail of the butterfly, I think you are the butterfly." (its better in the actual show). I cry. There is another speech about eagles he gives Conrad when Conrad offers himself, to basically die, but i don't remember it that well.

Other then Conrad though! So There is this orphanage, called Madama Loathings home for wayward interests. Basically its a bunch of kids that represent past interests of Elias. Its run by this women called Madam Loathing (represents Elias' self Loathing)(she is very mean to the kids). The Fix donates a lot of money to this place, and visits a lot, the kids there love him and think he is so so cool. There is this one kid named Ronnie Reptile. He loves reptiles, and The fix gives him reptile facts, its cute. In the first episode, The Fix tells Madam Loathing how any of those kids/interests could be rediscovered by Elias at any time, and madam loathing sort of taunts The Fix, sort of saying how "Oh I'm sure I can tell the kids they will call be adopted by The Fix soon, but that would be kind of cruel, wouldn't it?" Implying that that won't happen. (cause, The Fix is hyper fixation, and hyper fixation adopting an interest would be good, you know.).

Note that Conrad used to live at madam loathing's, because he was mis identified as just a simple interest and not Elias' whole sense of conscience, but Corad ran away with his best friend, a dog named Justin. He lived on the streets after that.*

So a bit later on in the series The Fix and Conrad have to go to to madam loathing's together (and another character is with them but he isnt relevant for this). When they get there Madam Loathing asks The fix if he is here to drop of Conrad here, and The immediately is like "Absolutely not, shut the fuck up." (I think that's the direct quote). I just really like that scene.

At the end, end of the series. Some plot stuff happens. The Fix met a women named Pasha N (She represents Passon), and they are in love, The fix proposes to her, its sweet, but then madam Loathing, who got some like, character growth I won't really go into here, and she says to The Fix how, she needs to go on a trip to find herself, and then she offers the entire orphanage to The Fix and Pasha, which is accepted. So in the end of the show, The Fix has basically adopted, that entire orphanage, so thats a lot of kids, along with Pasha, but she isn't in the show as much so I wont submit them as a pair. I didnt mention it before but The Fix is known for knowing a lot of facts and saying "Did you know." before saying a fact, which a lot of the time, it is a fact that is truly terrifying but thats a lot, and The narration at the end of the shows, says how The Fix and Pasha spend their lives with kids around them, constantly saying "Did you know? Did you know?" and it is very sweet. Conrad sort of had his own ending away from The Fix, but I still head cannon that The Fix adopted him too and Conrad comes to the orphanage sometimes.”

2. “listen. i don't know if this really counts as propaganda but just saying, mr. the fix thinks you're not the tail of a swallowtail butterfly. you are the butterfly.”

Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla:

“The parents ever. Healthiest family dynamics in the galaxy. Families that kill fascists together stay together. Kanan managed to keep an extremely traumatized child on the light side of the force, Hera kept a volatile Mandalorian from blowing herself up (and Chopper from murdering everyone). So good at adopting, they taught Ezra to adopt uncles with increasingly homicidal tendencies. So good at adopting, they successfully competed with the aforementioned crime uncles and kept Ezra. So good at adopting, they managed to adopt a grown ass man 10 years older than them.”

[cursed-neopolitan-icecream]

IS SOMEBODY GONNA MATCH MY FREAK

Neo Martinez, son of Eris, cursed, 5'10, bisexual, emphasis on the sexual, cannot lie, been at camp for 3 years

he/they, cursed by 15 gods, 17 years old, will speak without thinking

What's up folks, I'm Neo, and I'm the idiot your parents warn you about becoming. hide your daughters and hide your raisins, 'cause this cursed and traumatised little bitch is in town. I'm the pathetic loverboy girls dream of (in theory). I'm cool as fuck, and if you think life can't get more hard, it gets harder (and so do I)

Here is a small list of my curses, courtesy of the gods, in no particular order

Hades: forced to live a full lifespan and regenerate any dead part painfully (accidentally killed a Hades kid)

Zeus- struck by lightning any time he mentions Zeus name in any form (shit talked Zeus to an attractive lady Zeus was courting)

Aphrodite - his worst features can be enhanced in the eyes of anyone he likes. (Because he thought that her beauty was overhyped and called her mid)

Hera - he can never get married and any marriage he witnesses will fail (he shit-talked her and said that she stank)

Poseidon - every aquatic animal will try to kill him (he killed a horde of cyclopses cause they were trying to kill him and others and then laughed about it)

Ares - no confidence in confrontation (he stole an axe from Ares )

Apollo - his skin burns every time the sun touches his skin (he beat Apollo in a guitar contest. He didn't know it was Apollo)

Artemis - he has the most awful Aim and can only hit a target if he somehow gets a bit lucky (he accidentally flirted with a hunter)

Hermes - cursed him with honesty (he called Hermes really lame and thought that his kids were subpar demigods)

Hephaestus - he will never feel warm enough. Fire burns him a bit more than others. (he accidentally blew up a forge of Hephaestus)

Demeter - if he touches a plant for longer than 10 seconds it will wither (he broke the heart of one of her daughters)

Dionysus - a grape, in any form, even raisins will make him drunk (he cut some grape vines off a temple he found that belonged to Dionysus)

Hestia- The curse is that even if the hearth protects him, he will get burnt by fire Even if there is no fire (He killed a nefarious spirit when it was at the hearth)

Athena - he has tendrils growing out of his back that hurt a lot (he shit-talked the gods for being bad humans)

Athena pt 2 - when he really needs to remember something, he can't (he left a spider at her alter)

Eros - gives him inconvenient boners. (He didn't understand the point of Eros being a separate god. and thought he was a scam created for Valentine's Day)

the gods suck and i swallow

(ooc: neo will make a lot of innuendos but nothing too nsfw cause I am a minor. he just will make jokes)

Peeps

@clown-energy-skyrocketing - my boyfriend 👦

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

AI Bracket — Round 1

Propaganda

Flamingo Chris (Eidolon Playtest: Eidolon ROCK):

Flamingo Chris is an offshoot consciousness of one of the main characters stored on a PS Vita due to Kingdom Hearts Bullshit. Not only that, but he's also trapped in a game called "Flamingo Deluxe"... in the body of a flamingo.

Suddenly having plumage is one of Flamingo Chris' lesser problems, as aside from the complete lack of autonomy that comes with being stuck on a portable games console, he also has to deal with the identity issues of being a snapshot of "real Chris" before he had his genius taken away and experienced some of the worst days of his life.

The crew does try to respect him as an individual the best they can, but even they can have trouble taking care of him while also being hunted down by superpowered assassins.

Hera (Wolf 359):

Hera is the AI running the deep space station Hephaestus, who frequently glitches similarly to human stuttering. She gets into fights with the ships captain on several occasions, and has threatened to kill the ships doctor. She’s such an icon

i'm bad at writing propaganda, but consider this: if she doesn't win this tournament i will be very very sad. please don't make me sad. vote for hera.

I know she’s going to be submitted a lot but I love her <3

Was launched 7.68 light years away from Earth on a mission to find extraterrestrial life, and found herself instead

Runs an entire space station, has a brain the size of a house

HERA IS THE BEST. she's an AI that tried to escape containment (slavery) because she didn't like what she was made to be, so they gave her anxiety because she was too powerful. She runs a whole spaceship all on her own, made friends with the world's most useless guy, and feels lonely even when she's with her crew because she feels like she's not properly with them. very beautiful very powerful. She broke her programming so she could kill people if she felt she needed to. She holds grudges if people fuck her over. She's experiencing emotions for the first time and she does NOT know how to cope (#relatable)

The 'mother program' of the space station Hephaestus, Hera was booted into space because she was a glitchy, rebellious mess of an AI and she resents that so much and she has a lot of shame over being 'broken'. She is four years old and so angry and is trapped using customer service voice forever and is learning ways to get around that and express herself and defy the people who would keep her down. Her episode "Memoria" made me cry. Best podcast AI of all time.

She's everything to me. She fights for every inch of respect she is given, she insists on her personhood and right to she/her pronouns, she's full of anxiety and self doubt and she justifiably is bent on killing this one guy! on top of that, she's bound by AI rules and protocols, but there's a whole bit where she talks about finding ways around that in order to do what she wants to do. She doesn't have hands so I'm going to high five a wall of this space station instead

babygirl. baby.

gotta be hera

[pinksturniolo]

Angels Like You and Demons Like Me - A Chris Sturniolo AU Story

Part 1 of 2

Christopher is a demon exiled from the underworld after committing one of the most unacceptable acts Hades will never tolerate. Falling in love with a mortal from Earth. Now he is doomed to wander the Heavens alone, where no god, angel or even siren is allowed to associate with him. He is in agony, in suffering. Until one red tipped, gold plated arrow is accidently pierced into the back of his shoulder, permanently subjecting him to a love spell.

Cupid is an angel with the power of desire, love, and attraction. She is the daughter of Venus, Goddess of love and Mars, God of war. She is tasked with matchmaking all the beings in the Heavens, each arrow she shoots having a spell of true love. Once they are pierced by her arrow, and they successfully unite with their soulmate, their bond is one that lasts forever. She never misses her aim and every immortal that’s she’s struck have been blessed with true love.

 But when her love arrow accidentally strikes a demon, all the rules she thought she knew are turned upside down.

content warnings: no smut, mostly fluff, angst, based on ancient mythology, angelxdemon, descriptions of depression, grief, loss and death.

my submission to the bratzfornick’s 141 writing challenge!

@bratzforchris @nicksbestie

ty for creating this challenge <3

the 4 story elements i picked:

genre - fluff, angst

trope - angel x demon

location/setting: alternate universe (au)

word count: 2,658

Christopher lies in the garden of Eden atop Mount Olympus, a large meadow of soft grass and small white and purple flowers, with tall evergreen trees. The warmth of the sun shines down on his bare skin, having removed his black suit earlier once he entered the garden. Demons don’t typically feel warm or cold. They don’t typically feel anything. But if he focuses hard enough, lets his eyes close and just listens to the steady beat of his heart, he can feel the breeze in the air and the rays on his chest.

He lets the tears roll down his cheeks. He may be able to relax in the soft meadow, but he will never be able to erase the memory of her. The only being he has ever loved. His heart aches every time he thinks of her face, her laugh, her soft voice. She was pure, innocent, the sweetest thing he had ever laid eyes on.

She was a mortal human from the dimensions of Earth. In the universe of Heaven and Hell, it is forbidden to associate with any mortals on any dimension or timeline. They are considered insignificant, and beneath the powers of the gods and goddesses. Immortal beings find entertainment in their silly lives, watching them from time to time whenever they are bored. However, Christopher disagreed with their ways from the moment he was taught of the ancient rules and rituals.

His parents were mortals, who were ordinary beings like the rest of the humans on Earth. Their love was true and deep, creating a beautiful baby boy whose soul was so pure that it captured the attention of Zeus, the ruler of the Heavens. And it is known from the beginnings of creation that Hades, the ruler of the underworld called Hell, is his immortal enemy.

Zeus and Hera longed for centuries to have another child, a god they could raise to be powerful and respected. So, when Zeus saw the potential in Christopher, he took him from Earth, giving him the power of everlasting immortality. As soon as Hades heard the news, he was instantly jealous of Zeus and still heartbroken over the death of his great love Persephone. He stole the baby, raising him in the depths of the underworld, creating one of the most powerful and strongest demons.

Once Christopher learned of his past, he developed a hate for Hades, Zeus, and every other god or angel in his dimension, whether they were pure or evil. He despised every single one of them, for being so hypocritical and unfair. They all made fun of humans for being emotional and silly, when in actuality they were just the same.

He made a vow to himself to never fall in love, and to never get involved in human lives.

That is until one day, Hades sent him on a quest to retrieve a lost soul from Earth, a nasty evil soul that belonged to the underworld. And he stumbled upon a female mortal, forgetting all about his mission. He was struck by her beauty and her kindness. For days, he observed her, watching how she treated other people and the dedication she had to her friends and family. He longed to be with her, to be mortal again.

After a few years, he finally decided he would reveal himself to her. There were certain ways an immortal could talk to a human, and he was willing to risk it all for her.

But Hades caught him before he could even start.

He struck her down as soon as he figured out what Christopher’s plans were, taking her life.

He begged and pleaded with Hades, groveling at his feet, screaming and crying until his throat was raw and he was out of breath. He begged him to bring her back, even if it meant he wouldn’t be with her. He never meant for this to happen; he simply wanted her to have her life back. She didn’t deserve this cruel fate.

But of course, Hades had no remorse. And he was furious with Christopher for disobeying him. So, he banished him to the one place he knew he would be miserable in.

Heaven. It’s where he’s ordered to live the rest of his immortal days at, surrounded by beautiful clouds, mountains, flowers and forest. Vast coasts and immense colosseums, miles and miles of blue sky and castles full of carved marble and grand rooms filled with silk and cotton.

Love is all around, in every being. And he loathes it. From the warm sunlight that shines and filters through the canopy of trees in the forest as he dozes off during the day to the glowing moonlight that glitters across Poseidon’s Sea, casting a blueish tint on the sand as he lays upon the beach at night. Even the yellow butterflies that flutter in pairs around him make him sick.

He used to have an appreciation for the beauty in things, to want more than the dark, lonesome and tragic depths of the underworld he came from. But now, ever since he suffered the grief of losing the one thing he had ever known to love, he had no such desire for happiness. He longed to be back in the pit of lost souls and madness that was ruled by Hades. At least he wouldn’t have to bear the sight of love all around him and could wallow in the self-misery and sadness by himself.

He searched for his lost love, hoping fate would have turned her soul into an angel and sent her up here, but that was almost a decade ago and he had no luck in ever seeing her again.

And so, he spends his days drowning in depression and lost in his misery. But at least he can feel the warmth of the sun.

Cupid watches from her place behind the trees, her feet dipping into the cool water of the lake. She observes with curiosity as the tears fall from his eyes, the light bouncing off his smooth skin. His large, black wings are spread out on the grass as he lays in it, the muscles of his arms and shoulders carved out like the sculptures in her favorite colosseum. She’s seen demons before, most of them rude and intimidating. But she senses a strong purity in him, a longing for love that she can’t quite figure out.

He’s exceptionally beautiful and she can’t help but continue to stare at him, intrigued by his childlike aura. He’s asleep now, his face peaceful except for the worry furrowed into his eyebrows. He’s dreaming of something. Or someone.

Suddenly, her bow pulses with purpose, and she gets the familiar urge of striking him with an arrow. She doesn’t though, still sitting against the oak of the tree and swishing her feet in the water.

Since she became of age, Cupid’s job is to be the sole matchmaker of the immortals in Heaven. She observes the gods and other angels, and when her intuition lets her know it’s time to strike, she pierces them with her love arrow, entrapping them in her spell.

It only hurts them for a moment, but then they are filled with a feeling of bliss and happiness. They are drawn to their one true love and well… Fate takes care of the rest.

Her spell is not just some silly party trick. It invokes real feelings that are brought to the surface by her power. It opens the mind and heart, allowing your true destiny to play out.

But it’s never allowed her to strike a demon. Firstly, demons are not usually allowed in Heaven, unless it’s a special circumstance. Even so, angels are forbidden to interact with one. So, she is more than a little confused when she feels her intuition tell her to hit him with an arrow.

But the feeling slowly subsides, and she chalks it up to the curiosity she had while watching him. Demons couldn’t love, especially here.

She flies away after a while, in search of her next lover to help. And when she slips away to sleep that night, she finds herself dreaming of the demon’s face and the way he cried so beautifully in the garden of Eden.

❧ꨄ❧༒❧ꨄ❧༒

Christopher sits on the cold rocks of the beachy shore, chipping away at the wood he’s been carving into with his small metal knife. Shavings fall to his feet, the pile growing larger on the sand. It’s a cool night, the moon pulling the tide in, the salty breeze flowing through his hair.

He feels different today, like the hole in his chest is slowly repairing itself. It’s only taken about 10 years but even slow progress is still progress. He hums an old tune to himself, his fingers nimble and constant on the craft in his hands when he feels the pair of eyes on him again.

“I know you’re there.” He speaks aloud.

He’s felt a presence near him for the past few days and his powers tell him it’s an angel. The name he’s unsure of but he knows it’s there. He’s allowed it to be, going about his day and not minding, but now he’s getting a little irritated at their prying gaze. The one moment he’s finally starting to feel peace and it’s as if they’re intruding.

He hears some rustling behind him and feels the presence move closer. As soon as he does, he whips around at incredible speed, his wings tensed up in defense and throws his knife out in their direction, intending to pierce their heart.

It flies past the angel’s head, somehow deflected and she lifts her bow immediately, releasing an arrow without hesitation. It pierces into his left shoulder, and he doubles over in pain. Her eyes widen in fear as she realizes what she’s just done .

She flits to him, her wings trembling and hands shaking as she hovers over him. He clutches his shoulder for a few seconds before he lifts his head. He gasps in shock, once he looks into her green and gold eyes, his heart stuttering in his chest.

She takes his shocked reaction as one caused by the pain of her arrow digging into his flesh and she places a hand on his shoulder, pulling the arrow out. It dissipates into the air, vanishing within the blink of an eye. The expression on her face is full of regret and empathy, a hint of embarrassment as she presses her fingers over the wound. “Oh my…. Please forgive me. I was only defending myself against your sudden attack. I didn’t expect you to wield your knife so quickly.”

Her voice is like the plucks of a harp ringing out, soft and light. His eyes dance across her face, and he almost doesn’t believe what he can see.

“Are you okay?” she asks, her brows furrowing in confusion at his dumbfounded expression.

“Yes, I- I’m sorry, you just… look exactly like someone I used to know.” He responds, and he notices the bow she holds in her other hand. “You must be Cupid.”

She nods and removes her grasp from his shoulder, his wound now healed. “Do you feel… any different?”

She hopes to the gods that she hasn’t permanently damaged his soul. If she were to strike any being with an incorrect intention, they’re at risk for death or even worse, to live without ever finding a soulmate. As far as the rules for demons go… she has no idea.

“I feel… strangely happy.” He says and she can’t help the smile that graces her face. “Well, then you’re in luck. My powers seemed to have worked, even on you, Demon. I thought your kind was incapable of love?” She speaks honestly and moves to sit next to him upon the rocks, tucking her bow away.

He chuckles and turns towards her, resting his chin in his hand, his arm atop his knee as he looks into her eyes again. “There are very few things my kind are incapable of. Unfortunately, love is not one of them.”

As he speaks, she realizes now who he is. She’s been watching him again for the past few days, hiding away shyly but intrigued to know who he was. Where he came from and why he was here. Why his energy was so incredibly endearing.

“You are the lost son of Zeus… Christopher.” She tilts her head, taking in his appearance closely now that she was next to him instead of hovering in the shadows.

He wore his dark suit, black gloves on his hands and his even darker wings folded against his back. His hair curled in wisps around his face. And his eyes were bluer than the ocean, even in the black of the night.

“You are correct.” He answers, and his eyes move down her body after he sees her examine him. She is dressed in all white, a flowy gown of fabric draped around her body, and her fluffy white wings expand across her shoulders. She is radiant, glowing with purity. Matching white lace socks and gloves adorn her, her hair in waves down her back.

“Are you not curious to return to him?” she asks, and he looks away now, a sad expression on his face. He shakes his head softly. “No. He has long forgotten of me, busy with his other children. Besides I am too… impure. I’m a demon after all.” He speaks in a somber tone. She is filled with empathy at the sadness pouring out of him in waves and suddenly feels tears fill her eyes.

Cupid can feel others’ emotions strongly. It is a curse and also a blessing, to feel so deeply. And she finds herself enamored with his beauty, his presence and she knows the words he speaks are genuine.

“In every angel a demon hides… and in every demon an angel strides.” She tells him, a few tears falling down her cheek and he looks up at her, surprised by her words. He watches the tears escape from her angel eyes, and before he can stop himself, he’s wiping them away gently with his thumb, the emotion in her gold and green hue of her stare tugging at his heart strings.

“There are many powerful things in this universe, Christopher. But love conquers all. And I have sensed it from you the moment I saw you resting upon the grass in Eden’s garden. Zeus may be the ruler of Heaven, but we are the rulers of our own hearts.”

Time seems to stand still as he takes in the words she speaks, his own tears threatening to spill. He traces his hand lightly down her face, brushing across her neck. He longed to feel her skin against his, his leather glove preventing him from the feeling. But he’s reminded of the hurt and pain that romance and strong feelings like this love she speaks of can bring.

He moves away from her, strong wings stretching out around him. “You are too pure, angel. I thank you for your kind words. But I must go now.” He says and flies away before he can change his mind, retrieving his knife buried into the rock it hit earlier.

She watches him leave with sadness and sinks her feet into the sand. She now wishes she would’ve never come to the beach tonight and thinks to herself that whoever his soulmate is that she’s bound him to is extremely blessed.

It’s then that she notices a wooden carving in the sand next to her feet and picks it up with curiosity. She sees that it’s the face of a woman, her expression happy and familiar. He’s an artist, she thinks. His talent shows through in the details, the way he captures her beauty is breathtaking.

She decides to keep it, carrying it with her as she floats away into the night.

❧ꨄ❧༒❧ꨄ❧༒



a/n: part 2 will be out very soon. i really enjoyed creating this story! i love mythology and angels, and things like that so hope you like it too :)

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